[2][3] Cooper serves as the Shadow Minister for Democratic Reform, and as vice-chair of Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

[6] On November 20, 2015, Michael Cooper was appointed Official Opposition Deputy Justice Critic by Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose.

[12] On April 14, 2016, then Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould introduced Bill C-14, the government's Physician-Assisted Dying Legislation in the House of Commons.

[13] Bill C-14 was assented June 17, 2016 and incorporated several of the recommendations from the Conservative MPs' dissenting report, including limiting physician-assisted dying to competent adults suffering from a physical illness and prohibiting advance directives.

[22] On October 29, 2018, Cooper introduced Private Members’ Bill C-417, which sought to amend the jury secrecy rule section of the Criminal Code.

[24] The Bill would implement a recommendation of a report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights entitled: Improving Support for Jurors in Canada.

[24] The Bill passed the House of Commons unanimously on April 12, 2019, but died on the order paper when the 2019 federal election was called.

In May, 2019, Cooper quoted from the manifesto of the man accused of the mass killings in Christchurch, New Zealand in an attempt to check the testimony of a committee witness who tried to connect the killer's ideology to conservatism.

[32] According to a media report, Cooper called out Faisal Khan Suri, president of the Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council, for his testimony trying to link conservative commentators to the anti-Muslim extremist's heinous acts.

[34] As a result of his comments in the standing committee, Cooper also faced resurfacing allegations about remarks he reportedly made while in law school.

These allegations related to a statement Cooper reportedly made about "goat herder cultures" when in a seminar about Canadian multiculturalism.

[43][44] On January 29, 2022, Cooper attended the Freedom Convoy 2022 protest in Ottawa and handed out coffee to participants alongside fellow Alberta Conservative MP Damien Kurek.

Cooper was interviewed on-site by CBC News as a convoy protester in the background was seen holding a Canadian flag defaced with a swastika.