He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University in 1972 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1975.

[1] Cole worked as an associate in private practice with the law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Columbus, Ohio from 1975 until 1978.

[1] President Bill Clinton nominated Cole to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on June 29, 1995, to replace Judge Nathaniel R. Jones, who assumed senior status on May 13, 1995.

Although Republicans controlled the United States Senate at that time, Cole's nomination was considered uncontroversial.

[3] On January 5, 2022, Cole partially dissented in a 2-1 decision that upheld an injunction against an executive order requiring federal contractors to ensure that their workers get the COVID-19 vaccine.