KALAMAZOO, MI -- On Thursday, Western Michigan University came one step closer toward adding a law school.

President John Dunn at the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, July 18, 2013 at Western Michigan University.

The Board of Trustees unanimously voted in favor of a formal alliance with the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at its meeting July 18.

"Allowing Cooley Law School to use the University's name will bring ready recognition to WMU, and increase WMU's visibility in Michigan and throughout the country as one of a select few institutions of higher education affiliated with both a medical and law school," read the resolution.

Western would become the 83rd public university in the country with an ABA-accredited law school, said Jan Van Der Kley, vice president for business and finance and treasurer of the Board of Trustees.

The vote does not merge the two institutions, but would allow Cooley to use Western's name on its campuses. The law school currently has five in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Auburn Hills and Tampa, Fla.

The two currently have three joint-degree programs in place and have worked together for more than a decade.

"For many years, Western has had collaborative and cordial relations with Cooley Law School," she said. "We've long explored various methods and approaches where we could have a closer relationship."

WMU believes that the alliance will enhance the university's reputation and provide additional educational opportunities for students, she said.

The affiliation will not take effect until the name change is approved by the American Bar Association and Higher Learning Council, which are Cooley's accrediting bodies, Van Der Kley said.

It is unclear whether Cooley would hold any law classes on WMU's main campus in Kalamazoo, said Cheryl Roland, executive director of university relations.

The ABA meets next in September.