About Joshua Bryan
Joshua Bryan Cooley earned his law degree from The George Washington University Law School, receiving his J.D. in 2009 after beginning studies in 2006. He followed a traditional path into public defense work immediately after law school. Those early years shaped a practice built on courtroom experience and direct client advocacy.
Cooley began his post-law school career in Florida. In 2009 he worked as an "A" Lawyer in the Miami-Dade Public Defender's office. That role placed him inside busy criminal dockets and exposed him to the pressures of trial work. In 2013 he relocated to Alaska and joined the Alaska Public Defender Agency as a Lawyer IV, a position that expanded his responsibilities and caseload.
In 2016 Cooley became a partner in what the firm identified as 907 Legal - Ehrhardt, Elsner, and Cooley. His move into partnership marked a shift from public-sector practice to private practice and firm leadership. Over the years he has handled a range of criminal defense matters at the trial and motion stages, representing clients in state proceedings across Alaska.
Colleagues describe Cooley as methodical in court and direct with juries. He brings the habits of a public defender—preparation under pressure and a capacity to try cases—to the work he does now. He also maintains memberships in professional associations, staying connected to the bar and to peers across the state.
Cooley practices from the offices of Ehrhardt, Kelley & Cooley. In that setting he combines trial experience and appellate awareness on behalf of clients. He has represented individuals at arraignment, plea negotiations, trials and post-conviction hearings.
He continues to live and work in Alaska, practicing criminal defense and related litigation at Ehrhardt, Kelley & Cooley.
