TAMPA, Fla. — On March 25, Cooley Law School’s Sports & Entertainment Law Society hosted an event, “The Law Behind the Lights: Where Sports, Entertainment and Law Intersect,” at the Cooley Event Center on its Tampa campus, featuring Jimmy DuBose, a former NFL running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The event also featured, Shawuki Hilton, Esq., Cooley Law School alumnus and founding attorney of The Hilton Law Firm, and a poetry performance from Everkesia Taylor of I Am Poetry. “As a former professional athlete and present treasurer of the local National Football League Players Association, I am aware of amateur and professional athletes’ need for competent legal assistance,” said DuBose. “I was pleased to see the number of Cooley Law School students who have an interest in providing legal assistance to athletes in the future.” DuBose, an alumnus of the University of Florida Gators, was the first UF running back to rush for a 1,000 yards in a single season. He was named SEC Player of the Year in 1975, and selected to the Associated Press All-American team, and the Tampa Tribune All-Century Team in 1999. Additionally, DuBose was inducted into UF’s Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Sarasota High School Hall of Fame in 2018. He played four years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and became the first player in franchise history to rush for a hundred yards before getting injured and retiring from the NFL. Outside of football, DuBose worked in education for 22 years as a teacher, football coach, dean, and assistant principal in Hillsborough, Orange, and Pasco counties. He is currently the treasurer of the local chapter of the NFL Players Association leadership, where he has served in various capacities for over 20 years. “I’d like to say that it was an amazing event and I’m grateful for having been invited to participate,” said Hilton. “I look forward to future opportunities to work with SELS.” Hilton, who practices sports law, represents professional athletes within the Canadian Football League. Before graduating cum laude from Cooley, Hilton served as the justice of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, vice president of entertainment of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and associate editor of the Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law. He has served a diverse client base on matters related to business law, contract law, consumer protection, estate planning, intellectual property, and real estate. “Our goal was to bring together professionals from sports and the arts to give students a real, firsthand look at how law shapes each path — from NFL players to emerging artists building their dreams,” said Kimberly Ayala, SELS president. “It was an incredibly powerful experience, and if you weren’t there, you truly missed something special.” Cooley Law School’s Sports & Entertainment Law Society hosted an event, “The Law Behind the Lights: Where Sports, Entertainment and Law Intersect,” on March 25 at the Cooley Event Center on its Tampa campus. Pictured from left to right: Daniel Podboy- Navarro, Cooley Law School SELS vice president; Jim Hicks, SELS faculty advisor; Kimberly Ayala, SELS president; Shawuki Hilton; Renalia DuBose, Cooley professor; Jimmy DuBose, former NFL player; Everkesia; John Johnson, SELS public relations; and Giani Villalba, SELS secretary.
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LANSING, Mich. – A Cooley Law School student has been awarded one of two scholarships from the State Bar of Michigan Insurance & Indemnity Law Section.
Cooley Law School will host several Meet & Greet Information Sessions for prospective students throughout the country in February and March. Those who pre-register online and attend a Meet & Greet and are later accepted to Cooley will receive a scholarship of approximately $15,000, and all entrance fees will be waived. The law school will hold sessions in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Florida and Toronto, Canada. Each event will start at 6:30 p.m. with a brief informational presentation from the Cooley Law School Admissions Office, followed by a question-and-answer session to ask questions about law school, student life, and what to expect as a Cooley student. Attendees will learn about the law school admissions process, scholarships/financial aid, scheduling options, Cooley’s campuses in Lansing, Mich., and Tampa, Fla., and the variety of resources available to Cooley's student community. Registration is required: https://info.cooley.edu/meet-and-greet-registration. Meet & Greet Dates & Locations: February 4 – West Orange, NJ, 6:30 pm ET. Register February 5 – Garden City, NY, 6:30 pm ET. Register February 18 – Orlando, FL, 6:30 pm ET. Register February 19 – Miami, FL, 6:30 pm ET. Register March 4 – Toronto, ON, 6:30 pm ET. Register March 5 – Buffalo, NY, 6:30 pm ET. Register March 9 – Detroit, MI, 6:30 pm ET. Register March 11 – Indianapolis, IN, 6:30 pm ET. Register March 12 – Chicago, IL, 6:30 pm CT. Register March 16 – Grand Rapids, MI, 6:30 pm ET. Register March 19 – Dallas, TX, 6:30 pm CT. Register March 26 – Atlanta, GA, 6:30 pm ET. Register
LANSING, Mich. and TAMPA, Fla. – Cooley Law School welcomed a total of 65 new students to its Lansing, Michigan, and Tampa Bay, Florida, campuses during the evening and weekend program orientation for the Hilary spring semester. In Lansing, 35 new students attended orientation on Jan. 5-7. In Tampa, 30 students attended orientation on Jan. 9. During orientation, a sitting judge administered the professionalism oath, which required students to follow Cooley's Honor Code, the official guide to student conduct and behavior while in law school. In Lansing, Judge Kristen D. Simmons, 54-A District Court and Cooley graduate, delivered the professional oath to 35 new students. In Tampa, Hillsborough County Circuit Court Judge Nick Nazarian delivered the professionalism oath to 30 students. Incoming students also attended discussions with current students regarding advice on preparing for classes, learning and studying tips and techniques, and how to fully engage in the law school experience. Other sessions included: “Introduction & Learning Techniques” with President and Dean James McGrath, and “Preparing for Class with Dean’s Fellows” and “How and Why to Read and Brief Cases” with Cooley staff. Additionally, a pinning ceremony was held to honor incoming students and welcome them into the profession and study of law. The pinning signifies their professional persona as a lawyer in training. Students starting in January at Cooley Law School attend classes Monday through Friday during the evenings in Tampa and the weekend/blended program in Lansing.
LANSING, Mich. – Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at the MSU Wharton Center Pasant Theatre in East Lansing on Dec. 12.
TAMPA, Fla. – Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Tampa campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center in Tampa on Dec. 16.
TAMPA BAY, FLA, — On Nov. 20, Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus recognized students in the Michaelmas Term for their achievements during an honors convocation.
LANSING, MI. — On Nov. 20, Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus recognized students in the Michaelmas Term for their achievements during an honors convocation.
Cooley Law School found in compliance after short probation period
LANSING, MI and TAMPA, FL. — Cooley Law School has announced it welcomed its largest incoming class in seven years, an increase of 36 percent above the law school’s enrollment projections for 2025-2026 and an increase of 100% from the fall 2024 entering class.
