What Verdica's 796 score means for Joshua Bryan Cooley
Joshua Bryan Cooley's composite score of 796 out of 850 places him in the "strong" band (740–799), indicating a legal provider with solid compliance standing and minimal red flags in the regulatory record. This score reflects a track record that meets or exceeds baseline professional standards in Michigan, with particular strength in disciplinary history.
A score in this band suggests that a business owner or consumer can reasonably expect reliable regulatory standing. It does not mean the provider is risk-free—no score of 850 or below does—but it does mean that state bar records show no serious compliance failures. Readers should interpret this as a green light for credential-checking purposes, though it remains prudent to verify specific competencies, fee structures, and references independently.
How the sub-scores break down
Bar Standing: 790. This sub-score reflects Cooley's current licensing status and active-practice credentials in Michigan. A score of 790 indicates that the bar has no material concerns about his right to practice, that his license is in good standing, and that he meets continuing legal education and other renewal requirements. This is not a perfect score, which might suggest exceptional accolades or peer recognition embedded in bar records, but it is well above the threshold at which licensing issues would appear.
Disciplinary History: 850. This is a perfect score and the strongest component of Cooley's profile. It means that Verdica's scan of Michigan bar disciplinary records found no substantiated complaints, suspensions, disbarments, or other formal sanctions. In the legal profession, a clean disciplinary record is the baseline expectation, so a perfect score here confirms that expectation is met. No complaints indexed does not prove Cooley has never faced a client dispute, but it does indicate that no complaints reached formal bar adjudication or resulted in recorded discipline.
Practice Profile: 700. This sub-score, the lowest of the three, reflects observable data about how Cooley conducts his practice—likely including practice areas, client type, years in practice, office locations, or other structural indicators captured in bar records. A score of 700 (in the lower "acceptable" to mid-"strong" range) suggests a routine practice profile without obvious red flags, but also without the distinguishing factors that would elevate the score into the high 700s or 800s. This may indicate a solo or small-firm practice, a narrower range of practice areas, or fewer years on record compared to peers.
What regulators in MI track for legal providers
Michigan's State Bar of Michigan maintains and publishes disciplinary records that form the foundation of Verdica's scoring. These records track formal complaints alleging violations of the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct—which cover conflicts of interest, competence, billing practices, candor to courts, safeguarding client funds, and other core ethical duties.
Regulators flag infractions ranging from minor (technical billing errors, clerical violations) to severe (misappropriation of client funds, fraud, criminal conduct). A provider's score moves downward if disciplinary history includes public reprimands, suspensions, or disbarments. Practice history data—such as licensure dates, office locations, and bar registrations—help Verdica assess continuity and scope.
Scores move upward when records show uninterrupted active status, timely renewal, and no substantiated complaints. The absence of a public review or customer rating does not affect this regulatory score; it reflects only that Verdica has not yet indexed independent third-party feedback.
Bottom line
Cooley's score of 796 qualifies him as a strong candidate from a regulatory standpoint, with exemplary disciplinary history backing his license. Anyone considering engaging his services should confirm that his practice areas and fee structure align with their needs, and should request references specific to their type of matter.