About Cooper Law

Helping you through the maze of the legal system as efficiently as possible.

About us

Our History & Mission

Who is out there to represent people in the middle, with middle-class incomes that are not enough to hire high-priced attorneys?

After practicing for fourteen years, including four years working for a legal aid organization, founder Emily Cooper decided she wanted to do more to help people .

During those fourteen years, Emily observed people who could afford attorneys who charged hundreds of dollars per hour, as well as those who qualified for free legal aid. But so often she came across people who could not afford the average attorney fee rates of $250 or more and who did not qualify for legal aid. There was an obvious gap for these “people in the middle”. Founded in 2010 specifically to fill that gap, Cooper Law, LLC offers sliding fees to family law clients to assure that even those of modest means are able to obtain legal counsel in serious and life-changing family law matters.

Where we work

We represent clients in the 7 county metro area and beyond!

Are we in your area?

  • Hennepin County
  • Ramsey County
  • Washington County
  • Carver County
  • Dakota County
  • Wright County
  • Scott County
  • Chisago County
  • Anoka County
  • Sherburne County
  • Pine County
  • Isanti County

If not, contact us and see if we can help.

Dedicated and committed

Meet Our Team

The Cooper Law team has over 60 years of experience combined!

Emily Cooper

Attorney & Founder

Adam Spees​

Attorney

Christine Murphy​

Attorney

Timothy Groshens ​

Attorney
Rebeca Kaus

Rebecca Kaus

Attorney of Counsel

Darrell Johnston

Attorney of Counsel

Rachel Friesen

Rachel Friesen

Director of Operations

We're Hiring:

-Law Clerks

-Attorney of Counsel

If you are a current law student OR a private practice attorney with capacity for additional clients, and feel you would be a great fit at Cooper Law, please contact us!

Nicholas Nix

Administrative Assistant

Kendra Luke

Kendra Luke​

Certified Student Attorney

Josh Gilpin

Josh Gilpin​

Intake Specialist

Valeria Sanchez

Social Security Claims Manager

Spencer Larson

Social Security Claims Manager, Hearing Department

Rufus the Dog

Rufus

Chief Hair Distribution Officer

Streamlined processes and technology to save our clients time and money.

When it comes to legal work, time is money. Cooper Law is constantly innovating to handle legal matters more efficiently, so that you get the most bang for your buck.
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Communicate Via Text

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Video & Phone Conferencing Options

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Paperless and Secure Cloud-Based Storage​

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E-Filing

Emily Cooper

Attorney & Founder

"Helping clients to achieve their goals in an economical manner and with high quality legal representation is what I strive for."

In her 24 years of practice Emily has seen cases from all sides and represented a wide variety of client types.  Her practice has included complex litigation issues, trials and evidentiary hearings, as well as alternative dispute resolution and settlement strategy.  She brings this knowledge to her case work and focuses on family law and social security disability claims at Cooper Law.  As the managing partner, Emily works hard to assure that all cases are handled professionally and with personal attention and care.

Emily is a 1996 honors graduate from the University of Minnesota Law School.  In her early career she practiced civil litigation and family law while an associate at a major law firm in Ohio. She then spent five years working in the corporate world as in-house counsel for a multi-billion-dollar corporation, focusing on contract negotiations and drafting. While serving as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Volunteer Attorney Program she worked to encourage and recruit attorneys to volunteer to provide pro bono representation to low income clients. She also worked for three years as a staff attorney for a legal aid organization where she represented low income, abused and disabled individuals. In 2010, Emily was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court’s Committee for Equality and Justice.

Adam Spees

Attorney

“I go home every day feeling that I have truly bettered people’s lives. There’s no better feeling than that.”​

Adam’s practice is devoted exclusively to Social Security disability law. Adam is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (with an emphasis in law, criminology, and deviance) and a Bachelor of Arts in History (with an emphasis in American legal history). He studied Italian language and culture in Italy. Adam holds a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law.

Prior to joining the firm, he represented indigent defendants at the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office and the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office. He also worked in insurance defense and at a boutique business law firm in the east metro. He taught in a paralegal studies program for several years and still teaches a master’s-level class at a non-profit university. Adam is the current Chair of the Minnesota Bar Association’s Social Security Disability Law section and he volunteers each month with the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV), where he provides free legal advice to veterans and their families.

When he’s not practicing law or teaching, Adam enjoys reading books on history, especially military history and Roman history, taking walks, and tending to his garden. Adam lives in Northeast Minneapolis with his crazy cat, Foxy.

Christine Murphy

Attorney

“I realized when I was a law clerk that there were far too many people without access to good legal advice simply because they could not afford it. Access to legal advice should not be cost prohibitive. I have a dedication to providing quality legal service, with compassion and empathy. I, too, am divorced and understand the raw emotion associated with this difficult time.”​

Christine is an attorney for Cooper Law’s family law department. Christine graduated with a J.D. from Hamline School of Law in 2005. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Policy Analysis from University of South Dakota. Christine obtained a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2005. She was admitted to Minnesota Bar in 2006 and served as a law clerk for the 1st District from 2005-2006. She then worked as a Committee Administrator for Minnesota House of Representatives from 2007-2011. Christine has been practicing family law since 2011.

Timothy Groshens

Attorney

“Cooper Law’s absolute commitment to providing high quality family law legal services at an affordable price is the reason I joined the firm after 40 years of working at the bar association.”​

Tim is Cooper Law’s initial contact with family law clients. He assesses their cases to see if we are a good fit for each other and explains the Cooper Law method for solving people’s family law problems. Tim enjoys relieving some of the stress the client is under when they first reach out for help, by providing assurance and explaining that we will work with them at a price within their means.

Tim recently retired from a forty-year career as Executive Director of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Rather than attempt to learn golf, Tim has chosen to continue efforts to provide access to the legal system, particularly for those who are concerned about the cost related to solving their family law problem. His educational accomplishments include a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. Tim is licensed by the US Supreme Court and the Minnesota Supreme Court. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and its Family Law Section.

Rebeca Kaus

Rebeca Kaus

Attorney of Counsel

“Access to legal services is the single biggest success predictor in any legal outcome. I am passionate about making legal services more accessible to regular people and I am proud to work for a firm who succeeds at offering quality legal services to people who otherwise could not afford it.”

Rebecca’s practice is completely devoted to family law. Rebecca graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law with a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution, where her studies took her as far as Israel and London. Rebecca has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Catherine University.

Rebecca spent twenty years in the corporate world working for HealthPartners before making a career change to practice law in her passion area of family law. Rebecca realizes that clients seeking family law services are experiencing one of the most stressful times of their lives and her aim is to help relieve some of that stress by guiding her clients through the complex legal system and advocating for them at every turn.

In law school, Rebecca spent three years volunteering with the Mitchell Hamline Family Law Self-Help Clinic. Rebecca is a member of the Minnesota Bar Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Minnesota Women’s Lawyers, and the Warren E. Burger Inn of Courts.

Rachel Friesen

Rachel Friesen

Director of Operations

“Working in social services for many years, I’ve seen the lifelong impact that a financial or health setback can cause. I appreciate that Cooper Law’s mission is to empower and help people get back on their feet, whether through affordable family law services or by helping gain access to social security benefits.”

Rachel has a Master of Business Administration from University of St. Thomas and a bachelor’s degree in Peace, Justice & Conflict Studies from Goshen College. In her free time she enjoys gardening and working on house projects.

Nicholas Nix

Administrative Assistant

“Family law matters can get very complicated and having legal counsel is a must. Cooper Law’s sliding fees allow everyone the opportunity to quality legal services.”

Nick handles billing matters for Cooper Law. He has been with the firm since November 2017 and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. When he’s not at the firm, Nick enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.

Kendra Luke

Kendra Luke

Legal Assistant

“I resonate with Cooper Law’s mission of providing affordable legal services, because everyone deserves to have quality legal representation—not just those with deep pockets.”

Kendra has been with the firm since August 2019. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She hopes to use her background in the hard sciences to bring something unique to Cooper Law.

She is currently earning her Juris Doctor degree through Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s evening program.

Josh Gilpin

Josh Gilpin

Intake Specialist

"You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you."

John Bunyan

Josh is the first point of contact for new social security clients. He handles the initial paperwork and communicates directly with the Social Security Administration offices.

Josh has been with Cooper Law since August 2017. He is a father of 2, an avid pool player, gardener and cat parent.

Rufus the Dog

Rufus

Chief Hair Distribution Officer

"Woof!"

Rufus is the office mascot and (unofficial) therapy dog. He has been with the firm since December 2018. Rufus keeps clients calm when they are having a tough time by offering his ears up for scratches. His favorite time of day is lunchtime at the office.

He has many interests, from tacos to bánh mì. Rufus also enjoys receiving the daily office deliveries, with mixed results.