Cooper was born and raised in North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1979 with a B.A. and received his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1982. Before serving elected office, Cooper was appointed by Gov. Jim Hunt to the state goals and policy board. He also worked for his family law firm, Fields & Cooper, as an attorney specializing in civil suits, personal injury cases, and insurance defense. He then served in the North Carolina State Legislature from 1987 until becoming attorney general in 2001. He served in that role until becoming governor in 2017.