Meet Shelly Booth Cooley
(Attorney and Counselor at Law)
About Shelly
Shelly Booth Cooley founded The Cooley Law Firm in 2009, focusing exclusively on Family Building and Family Law. Before starting the firm, Shelly practiced civil litigation—primarily Family Law—at a mid-size Nevada law firm.
Shelly graduated with high honors from the University of California, Davis, in 1995, with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Human Development. After working with "at-risk" students for the San Joaquin County Probation Department, Shelly entered the teaching credential program at University of the Pacific. Shelly spent the next 5 years teaching, before becoming an attorney.
Shelly attended the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate, and was admitted to practice with the State Bar of Nevada in 2004.
In her spare time, Shelly enjoys spending time with her husband, her two (2) sons, and the family dogs.
Professional Credentials
- State Bar of Nevada – Certified Family Law Specialist
- Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys – Dual (Adoption and ART) Fellow
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – Fellow
- International Academy of Family Lawyers - Fellow
- Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS) - Member
- Amicable Divorce Network - Member
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings - Rated AV Preeminent
Professional Associations & Membership
- State Bar of Nevada
- Family Law Section Member
- LGBT Section Member
- American Bar Association – Family Law Section
- Clark County Bar Association
- The LGBTQ+ Bar
- Nevada Justice Association
- Resolve – The National Infertility Association
- State Bar of Nevada – Family Law Section – Executive Council (2010-2019) Chair (2017-2019) Vice Chair (2015-2017)
- State Bar of Nevada - Family Law Section - Board of Certified Family Law Specialists (2013-2020)
Why Family Law?
Family law is not the right practice area for everyone. Shelly works closely with people who are often facing one of the most stressful experiences of their lives. Each day is different and sometimes unpredictable because every client’s situation is unique.
Family law touches on many deeply personal issues, including family transitions, infertility, and trust or relationship disputes. Shelly meets clients at very difficult moments, which can be challenging, but her goal is always the same: to help them find clarity, stability, and peace.
Shelly’s clients often face social pressures and complex personal challenges. Their cases may involve issues that overlap with other areas of law—such as CPS/dependency, delinquency, personal injury, criminal, tax, or civil matters.
Family law is deeply personal, and clients often share information they’ve never shared before. Shelly balances compassion with clear professional boundaries, offering honest — sometimes difficult — advice. Her role is not to paint a rosy picture, but to give truthful guidance about legal options, likely outcomes, and practical solutions.
Empathy is vitally important because clients are going through traumatic changes in their lives. A family lawyer needs to be good at listening, but also not become too emotionally involved in client issues. It is extremely important that clients trust their attorney.
In a nutshell, a family lawyer needs to be sensitive, trustworthy, realistic, and empathetic, but maintain appropriate boundaries – Shelly possesses all these traits.
