The part of the record you can check
A peer rating, two association awards fifteen years apart, four degrees and a federal admission, each of them verifiable somewhere that is not this website.
Rated by other lawyers and judges, which is the only opinion a firm cannot buy.
Everything on this page comes from somebody other than the firm: a peer-review body, a state trial lawyers association, a bar roll, a university. That is the test applied to what gets listed here. There are no settlement figures, no case-value claims, and no reviews written to fill space.
Peer rating
- AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell
- The highest peer rating standard, for legal ability and general ethical standards. Rated by other members of the bar and the judiciary, anonymously.
Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, April 2013, Jeffrey A. Cooke
- Trial Lawyer of the Year
- Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, 1998, Jeffrey A. Cooke
- Super Lawyers
- Both attorneys, listed annually
Admissions
- Indiana
- Jeffrey A. Cooke, 1970 · J. Aaron Cooke, 1997
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
- J. Aaron Cooke
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
- J. Aaron Cooke
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law
- J.D. 1970, Jeffrey A. Cooke
- Purdue University
- B.A. 1967, Jeffrey A. Cooke
- Valparaiso University School of Law
- J.D. 1996, J. Aaron Cooke
- Indiana University
- B.A. 1993, with a Certificate of Studies in Public and Environmental Affairs, J. Aaron Cooke
Service
- National Board of Trial Advocacy
- Indiana State Coordinator, Jeffrey A. Cooke
- City Attorney, West Lafayette, Indiana
- 1976 to 1980, Jeffrey A. Cooke
- Brain Injury Association of Indiana
- Member, J. Aaron Cooke
The one review published in full
“After my family and I were hit by an intoxicated driver, we found out the person who hit us had terrible insurance, and we weren't sure how we'd be able to recover anything. But Aaron really went to bat for us. He was honest, aggressive when it mattered, and never gave up - even when things got complicated. He kept us informed every step of the way and made sure we felt supported throughout the entire process. We couldn't have asked for a better advocate. Highly recommend!”
Directory aggregates put the firm at 4.9 across 5 reviews spanning Lawyers.com and Martindale records. That is a small sample and it is presented as one. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Memberships, with their dates
- Indiana Trial Lawyers Association
- Lifetime Achievement Award 2013; Trial Lawyer of the Year 1998
- National Board of Trial Advocacy
- Indiana State Coordinator
- Brain Injury Association of Indiana
- Member - J. Aaron Cooke
- Martindale-Hubbell
- AV Preeminent peer-review rated
- Super Lawyers
- Both attorneys listed annually
- Phi Gamma Delta
- Jeffrey A. Cooke
Dates are printed as the firm and the bar directories publish them rather than rounded into a “years of experience” figure. If you would rather judge by what the work involves than by a register, each practice area sets out the process step by step, and the questions people actually ask cover the rest. The individual records are on the attorneys page.
About what is and is not on this page
What does AV Preeminent actually mean?
It is Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer-review rating. The ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of other members of the bar and the judiciary across two categories, legal ability and general ethical standards. It is an assessment by other lawyers and judges. It is not a client review, and it is not something a firm can buy.
Can I check any of this myself?
Yes, and you should. Indiana bar admissions are searchable through the state's roll of attorneys, Martindale-Hubbell and Super Lawyers both publish their own listings, and the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association publishes its award recipients. None of it depends on taking this page's word for it.
Why is there only one client review?
Because only one is published in full anywhere. It is reproduced complete rather than trimmed, and the directory aggregate, 4.9 across five reviews, is shown with its sample size rather than as a bare score. Writing more to fill the page was the obvious option and it is not an honest one.
What about case results and settlement figures?
You will not find a scrolling list of verdicts here. The firm describes its experience as having yielded success in court and in settlements; that is quoted as their statement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and figures presented without their facts are advertising rather than information.
Can I speak to a past client?
Ask on the first call. Whether it is possible depends entirely on the client and on confidentiality, so it is not something anyone should promise on a web page.
Start with a clear conversation.
Describe what happened, in whatever order it comes out. You will get a straight read on whether there is something here, including when the answer is that you may not need a lawyer at all.
Contacting Cooke Law Firm or Cooke Law Firm does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing on this site is legal advice. Please do not send confidential information until a written engagement is in place. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.