Tate Cooper is a Litigation Fellow at the Institute for Justice.
Originally from Columbia, Missouri, Tate graduated summa cum laude from William Jewell College’s Oxbridge Honors Program with a Bachelor of Arts in Institutions and Policy. He also minored in mathematics and music. Tate then graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri School of Law where he served as an editor on the Missouri Law Review. After law school, Tate clerked for Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Chief Judge Diane Sykes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Tate is licensed to practice law in Missouri.
In his spare time, Tate enjoys trail running, and he has completed multiple trail ultramarathons.
Tate's Amicus Briefs
T.M. v. University of Maryland Medical System
U.S. Supreme Court
Tate's Podcasts
June 12, 2026
Short Circuit 432 | Moth-Eaten Precedent
A wild, and tragic, story from the Fifth Circuit with a bit of good (yet confusing) news at the end. IJ’s Diana Simpson tells us […]
Listen NowNovember 28, 2025
Short Circuit 404 | A Permit to Pray?
Can a city require you to get a permit if you’re having a few people over to pray? In an Ohio town it was a […]
Listen Now