Cooper joined the Office of the General Counsel in December 2011 as associate general counsel. He has been lead counsel on many key issues including university athletics, contracts, facilities management and other matters affecting the university.

Before joining the university, Cooper was in private practice in the Anchorage and Fairbanks offices of Guess & Rudd. Cooper also serves on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and, prior to accepting the General Counsel position, he was that body’s presiding officer. He has resigned that position effective May 31 but will remain an assembly member.

Cooper was born in Seattle and grew up in Fairbanks, attending Lathrop High School. He attended college at the University of Puget Sound and graduated law school from the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in politics and government and his Juris Doctorate. Cooper is a member of both the Washington State and Alaska bar associations.