Heather Dunbar

I joined the Cooley faculty in September 2001 as an adjunct professor, a position I held until August 2006 when I was named Deputy Director of the Academic Resource Center. I became as an assistant professor in January 2011.

I taught Bar Exam Skills, Pretrial Skills, BarPlus, Multiple Choice Bar Lab, Introduction to Law, and Property II, where I would introduce students to legal analysis in reading, listening, and writing, and meet with students seeking improvement in law school skills.

Previously, I operated the Law Office of Heather L. Dunbar in Lansing, Michigan, 2004-2006, specializing in criminal defense and general civil practice. I also served as a legal researcher for other local attorneys. Before opening my own practice, I was an associate attorney with Jeffries & Newton in East Lansing, Michigan, representing Michigan State University students in district court matters. From August 2001-July 2003, I served as a law clerk for Judge Louise Alderson in 54-A District Court.

While serving as Deputy Director of the Academic Resource Center, I was presented with the Dean's Award at Cooley Law School in August 2007 and with the Black Law Student Association's Unsung Hero Award in October 2008.

While a student at Cooley, I was on Dean’s List and Honor Roll each term, was ranked 14th in my class, served as a graduation marshal and a Cooley ambassador, and served as an associate editor on the Law Review. I earned the John D. Voelker Award for outstanding service to the Cooley Law Review, and was also an intern with the Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic. In addition, my partner and I won the Intra-School Client Counseling Competition sponsored by the American Bar Association.

I am a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and the Association of Academic Support Educators.