Isabel Zagazeta is a 3L J.D. candidate and Dean’s Fellow at Cooley Law School in Tampa, Florida. Originally from Canada, she earned her undergraduate degree at Wilfrid Laurier University before moving to Florida to study law at Cooley. She has earned book awards, served on Law Review, mentored incoming students, and was part of Cooley’s Moot Court team that recently won first place at the 2026 Robert Orseck Moot Court Competition. With a passion for legal writing and healthcare compliance, Isabel is building a strong foundation for a future in law at Cooley.
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Law school is a grueling time. From attending class to participating in externships, and everything in between, your schedule is packed. Keep your life and legal education organized with these helpful apps for law students!
During the month of October, the Cooley Law School Innocence Project is doing its part to build awareness about wrongful conviction and its human impact. Part of their efforts included bringing back and giving voice to those exonerees who found freedom through the work of the Cooley Innocence Project and the national network of advocates working steadfastly to right this wrong.
“Look to your left, look to your right; one of you won't complete your law school journey.” I remember getting this from deans and professors when I first started at Cooley Law School. I also remember thinking one of the “ones” should have been me.
Daniel Cardwell is a first-year law student at the Cooley Law School. He earned an M.A. in English: Rhetoric & Writing from Northern Arizona University and an M.A. in Library & Information Science from the University of South Florida. He comes to Cooley Law School with a background in higher education as both a long-time member of Hillsborough Community College’s Writing Center staff and as part of the college’s adjunct English faculty.
Even at nine years old, Joseline Hardrick knew she wanted to be a lawyer. She remembers being glued to the TV watching Matlock and Perry Mason with her mother. She loved to watch the attorneys, and all the courtroom drama, especially the parts where they were cross-examining people. Her mother was thrilled. Hardrick recalls her mother making sure to tell anyone who would listen that her "baby's going to be a lawyer."
Amy Dickinson is a syndicated advice columnist. In a recent installment of “Ask Amy” she responded to a letter from “Chatty-Sister.” Sis complained that her brother, who was living at home while preparing for the LSAT, demands absolute silence in the house when he takes practice tests.
Growing up, Cooley graduate Kate Barnaby remembers how much she loved learning about our legal justice system. It wasn't just that her dad was part of the Navy and Honor Guard, it was more than that. She recalls many visits to Washington, D.C., and how her dad made a point of taking the family everywhere, including the White House, Capitol Hill and all the impressive monuments.
My colleague Joe Kimble has attempted to refute the common superstition against beginning a sentence with the word "but."
As investigators continue to uncover evidence surrounding the two mass shootings this past weekend, WMU-Cooley Law School Associate Dean Michael C.H. McDaniel and former Deputy Assistant for Homeland Defense Strategy answers questions from law students and to members of the media regarding the investigation, current laws, and steps the government can take to protect citizens from domestic terrorism.
