Nonprofit Management and Law

Business man during presentation to client
Master of Nonprofit Organizations and Juris Doctorate

About the Program

Learn to lead nonprofit organizations that adhere to the highest legal and ethical standards with our dual Master of Nonprofit Organizations (MNO) and Juris Doctorate (JD) from Case Western Reserve University. A joint offering between the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the School of Law, this program gives you the skills and legal expertise you need to truly impact change.

Alumni of our program are employed worldwide—and they’re leading organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Where will your dual degrees take you?

What to Expect

National and global changes across industries in the past decade have redefined the legal profession, opening up new areas of practice and a vast spectrum of opportunities for the well-trained legal mind—including careers in nonprofit management. Our innovative JD curriculum responds to this ever-evolving legal world, and we’ll prepare you to do the same. And, by pairing your JD with an MNO from a top-ranked social work school at one of the nation’s leading research universities, you’ll build relationships in the nonprofit sector and learn how to be an effective leader.  

In just four years, you can complete our dual-degree program and come away prepared for a range of career opportunities, working:

  • As a lawyer in a nonprofit organization setting,
  • As a program officer in a foundation,
  • As a leader or manager of a nonprofit organization,
  • In the area of nonprofit public policy and advocacy or
  • In the field of planned giving.
Admission officers from the MNO and JD programs review applications and make admission decisions separately. Timelines and due dates are different for each program. Make sure to view the program pages on the School of Law and Mandel School websites for up-to-date information. Most students begin at the law school and apply for the additional degree program in the spring of their first year in the JD program.

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Beyond the Classroom

Case Western Reserve is located in Cleveland, which has a long history of nonprofit innovation. It’s the birthplace of the Community Chest (predecessor of the United Way); home to the oldest community foundation in the U.S. (The Cleveland Foundation); and the location of the first healthcare conversion foundation.

And, Cleveland has a thriving nonprofit sector—it boasts one of the highest concentrations of community development organizations in the country. And, it’s home to plenty of law firms. What organization will you immerse yourself in—and bring your law expertise to?


By the Numbers

4

years to complete program

#12

social work program out of 319 schools ranked, U.S. News & World Report

8:1

student-to-faculty ratio

#51

university in the nation, U.S. News & World Report

109

credit hours for two degrees

Admissions Requirements

Interested in applying? Contact Robert Fischer, chair of the Master of Nonprofit Organization program. You’ll apply to both the MNO and JD programs separately.

Most students begin their program at the law school and apply for the MNO in the spring of their first year.

Contact Us

Headshot of Robert Fischer
Robert Fischer
Chair, Master of Nonprofit Organizations Program
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Telephone

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