James M. Hicks, Jr.

I have devoted most of my career to Cooley Law School, serving as General Counsel and secretary to the corporation from 1991 to 2002, associate professor and professor until 2014, then returning to the faculty in 2020. I taught on all five of the school’s campuses and currently am a member of the Florida faculty, teaching Civil Procedure (both as two three credit courses and one four credit course,) Property, Business Organizations, Pre-Trial Skills, and Introduction to Legislation, Regulation, and Statutory Interpretation.

From 2015 to 2019, I served as Associate Dean, Assistant Dean of Assessment and Practice Readiness, and Assistant Dean of Academic Success and Bar Preparation at Savannah Law School in Savannah, Georgia. From 2019 to 2020, I was Assistant Dean for Academic Success and Bar Preparation at Barry University School of Law in Orlando, Florida.

I began my career at the Chicago office of Seyfarth, Shaw and also practiced at Wiggin and Dana in New Haven, CT.

As a faculty member at Cooley, I have served on committees addressing Ethics and Professionalism; Career and Professional Development; Professionalism, Honor Code, and Disciplinary Procedures; Promotion and Tenure; Scholarship; and hiring. Throughout my tenure, I have served as faculty advisor for numerous student organizations and currently fill this role for the Sports and Entertainment Law Society.

I have been the recipient of several awards, including the Pillar of Strength Award from the African Legal Scholars Association, the Black Law Students Association, and the Caribbean Law Students Association; the Student Bar Association Award for Outstanding Educational Program; and the Quod Libet Society Award of Outstanding Professor for Excellence in Teaching.