John Cooper

John Cooper earned a B.A. in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1985 and went on to receive his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1988. His academic path combined an interest in human behavior with legal training. That background helped shape a practice centered on the consequences of serious injury.

He began his legal career as a law clerk in 1988 for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division. The clerkship was followed by a position as a senior litigation associate at Croshaw, Beale, Hauser & Lewis, P.C., starting in 1989. Those early years placed him in federal and state courtroom settings and gave him extended exposure to trial preparation and civil procedure.

In 1995 Cooper joined Kalfus & Nachman, P.C. as a personal injury lawyer. Two years later he became a partner at Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton, P.C., where he spent more than a decade handling injury claims and building trial experience. In 2011 he co-founded Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers. He has remained in a founding partner role at that firm since then, overseeing litigation and client matters.

Cooper is licensed in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia. He holds memberships in several professional organizations, including the Virginia Beach Bar Association, Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. He also belongs to national groups such as the American Association for Justice and serves in its Leaders Forum since 2021. His involvement with the Brain Injury Association of Virginia reflects an interest in cases that involve catastrophic and neurological injuries.

Peers and clients see him most often in contexts where injuries are severe and complex. He handles cases arising from automobile collisions, workplace incidents and other events that cause long-term harm. He has worked on matters that require careful coordination of medical experts and focused trial preparation. He emphasizes fact development and practical courtroom strategy.

Today Cooper practices at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers. He represents people harmed in accidents and manages litigation involving serious and brain injuries, handling trials and settlement negotiations on behalf of clients.