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Isabel Zagazeta: From Toronto to Tampa, Building a Future in Law

Isabel Zagazeta: From Toronto to Tampa, Building a Future in Law

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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  • Everyone is a Kid on Cooley for Kids Day!
    Everyone is a Kid on Cooley for Kids Day!

    Everyone is a Kid on Cooley for Kids Day!

    It was another great day at the ballpark! Hundred of kids shared in the festivities, including pre-ceremony activities where the Parks & Rec kids and Cooley law students share the field with the players and a relaxing and fun afternoon to take in a Lansing Lugnuts ball game. What was unclear was who was having more fun – the kids or the law students!

  • Cooley Professor Jeffrey Swartz: Assuring Accurate Legal Expert Commentary for ABC Action News
    Cooley Professor Jeffrey Swartz: Assuring Accurate Legal Expert Commentary for ABC Action News

    Cooley Professor Jeffrey Swartz: Assuring Accurate Legal Expert Commentary for ABC Action News

    This blog was originally published on May 19, 2015. As much as every news affiliate is looking for a story, reporters and news sources are always in need of someone who can take personal opinion out of a story and replace it with a professional and objective account of a story – no matter how controversial. Many also can argue that literally every story has the potential to have a legal viewpoint.

  • How can you manage dying and death? Knowing your rights helps.
    How can you manage dying and death? Knowing your rights helps.

    How can you manage dying and death? Knowing your rights helps.

    Death is a difficult subject with which lawyers in certain practice areas deal regularly. Probate practitioners and estate planners, personal-injury lawyers handling wrongful-death cases, and prosecutors and defenders handling homicide cases all maintain and manage relationships with either the dying or family members and friends of the dead.

  • Surprising allies think cameras at late night establishments may happen
    Surprising allies think cameras at late night establishments may happen

    Surprising allies think cameras at late night establishments may happen

    Guest Grand Rapids Legal News article by Roger Rapoport, reprinted with permission (All Rights Reserved): Legal News Editor’s Note: Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson, the next president of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, received his law degree with honors from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and went immediately into his career as a prosecutor in Muskegon County.

  • Not a Fan of the Courtroom? 7 Alternative Ways to Use a J.D. Degree
    Not a Fan of the Courtroom? 7 Alternative Ways to Use a J.D. Degree

    Not a Fan of the Courtroom? 7 Alternative Ways to Use a J.D. Degree

    While perhaps the most well-known path after law school is taking the bar exam and becoming a litigation attorney, that is far from the only option for those with law degrees. Many law school graduates establish outstanding and successful careers that have little to do with being in a courtroom. When you combine the knowledge, skills and ethics you gain during your legal education and the resources of your network of over 20,000 graduates around the world, you are well-equipped for almost any leadership position. Here are seven career options that take place outside the courtroom.

  • Change of Pace: Cooley Alum Moves from Police Officer to Attorney
    Change of Pace: Cooley Alum Moves from Police Officer to Attorney

    Change of Pace: Cooley Alum Moves from Police Officer to Attorney

    This article originally appeared on legalnews.com. This article has been republished with the publication's permission.

  • Top Five Reasons to Celebrate Five Years of Affiliation
    Top Five Reasons to Celebrate Five Years of Affiliation

    Top Five Reasons to Celebrate Five Years of Affiliation

    Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School today marks the fifth anniversary of signing affiliation and licensing agreements that brought it under the umbrella of Western Michigan University. On July 19, 2013, Law School President and Dean Don LeDuc and then-WMU President John Dunn signed the agreements setting the stage for the deep cooperation and collaboration that has resulted in more than 200 joint initiatives. There are plenty of reasons to celebrate, but here are what we think are the top five.

  • Cooley Honored by the Center for Plain Language
    Cooley Honored by the Center for Plain Language

    Cooley Honored by the Center for Plain Language

    Cooley and its professors have always been known for teaching and advocating for the use of plain language in the legal profession. The professors have written several books and countless articles on the subject, edited legal writing journals and columns, and won national and international recognition for their work. And now, because of two professors’ efforts, the school has received a ClearMark Award from the U.S. Center for Plain Language.

  • Professor Beery: With Justice Kennedy’s Retirement Enter a New Era of Jurisprudence
    Professor Beery: With Justice Kennedy’s Retirement Enter a New Era of Jurisprudence

    Professor Beery: With Justice Kennedy’s Retirement Enter a New Era of Jurisprudence

    Cooley Law School Professor Brendan Beery wrote this op-ed for Attorney At Law Magazine. This article has been republished with the magazine's permission.