Overview
- The American Bar Association’s Council placed Cooley on probation effective Sept. 19, citing failure to meet Standard 316.
- Standard 316 requires at least 75% of a law school’s graduates who take the bar to pass within two years of graduation.
- The Council said the noncompliance is sufficiently serious that it raises concerns about the quality of the student learning experience.
- President and Dean James McGrath reports a 79.2% two-year pass rate for 2024 graduates as of Sept. 26 and says two additional July 2025 results could confirm compliance.
- The school remains accredited, students can receive federal aid and graduates can sit for the bar, with the president and dean set to appear before the Council in February 2026.