Former California Assemblymember and McGeorge School of Law alumnus Ken Cooley ‘84 will be using his years of experience in the State Assembly to teach a Capital Lawyering and Policymaking class during the spring 2027 semester.

In 2027, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law alumnus and former California state Assemblymember for 10 years, Ken Cooley ‘84, will teach a Capital Lawyering and Policymaking course at McGeorge.  

The class is designed to acquaint people with all the various settings in which law can unfold. With over 49 years of experience holding different positions within the government sector, Cooley intends to use his background to continue to lift the next generation of lawyers.  

“We are trying to use good ideas, turn them into law, and thereby touch people's lives in a positive way,” Cooley said. “That takes thought, foresight, and sweating the details. And these are tremendous outcomes that the education of UOP, both the law side and the public policy, can further.” 

In 2003, Cooley became an elected official as a Councilman for the City of Rancho Cordova. He also served as the mayor of Rancho Cordova from 2005-2006, and 2010-2011. 

As he prepared to take office, Cooley received a handwritten letter from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, also a professor at McGeorge from 1965, before his selection to the Supreme Court. Justice Kennedy continued teaching at McGeorge until 2019. 

The letter read, “Self-government must not be an abstract ideal but must be unceasing in our efforts to make it more effective and respected by our people.” Since receiving the letter, Cooley has displayed it in every office he’s held.  

During his time in the State Assembly, Cooley is proud of two major bills he helped pass. A groundbreaking law in 2016 that helped set concussion protection rules for high school football. In 2015, Cooley helped pave a path to break the nearly two-decade impasse to adopt rules for medical marijuana. 

Cooley held the position of Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee for more than 6 years. Over the same period, he chaired the Joint Rules Committee of the Senate and Assembly. 

During his Assembly tenure, Cooley was on the Committee on Foster Youth and served 10 years on the Governmental Organization, Insurance, and Public Employment and Retirement standing committees. 

Cooley is a member of McGeorge’s Capital Center Alumni Board, a volunteer group of McGeorge graduates dedicated to supporting and advancing the Capital Center’s mission and supporting students. 

“For McGeorge to sit in Oak Park just a few miles away from the most full-time legislature in the nation, in a state that is itself a global economy in a global presence. Anyone who comes to McGeorge to learn about government can acquire a set of skills that will stand out across the nation,” Cooley said.  

McGeorge was ranked as No. 1 in the country for government law by National Jurist Magazine for the second consecutive year. McGeorge’s Alternate Dispute Resolution earned an “A” ranking from the National Jurist Magazine, placing the school amongst the top 10 in the nation. 

“I think it's fantastic that McGeorge has this program and has been ranked number one, as it should be,” Cooley said.