The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law (NCICL) is a nonprofit organization that supports policies it views as conducive to individual liberty, a free market economy, and limited, transparent government in North Carolina by providing educational resources about constitutional principles. ¹

Established as a nonprofit in 2004, the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law is primarily funded by the right-of-center John William Pope Foundation. ²

Activities

The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law provides educational resources to the public, policymakers, and the North Carolina State Bar about constitutional principles to promote policies it views as conducive to individual liberty, free enterprise, and a limited and transparent government. ¹

The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law aims to hold policymakers accountable by making constitutional law issues comprehensible to the public. ¹ NCICL posts amendment alerts on its website which contain summaries of proposed amendments. The alerts also specifically address the constitutionality of any proposed amendments. ³

NCICL provides an introductory guide to the Independent State Legislature Doctrine, explaining the difference between the State and the Legislature, and the details of the Moore v. Harper case, which was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2023. ⁴

The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law also provides resources related to Leandro v. State of North Carolina, a lawsuit filed in 1994 by parents, students, and school districts from five poorer and rural North Carolina counties. Along with general resources, NCICL president Jeanette Doran published an easy-to-understand summarized chronology of the Leandro case including its multiple trips to the Supreme Court of North Carolina. ⁵

On July 29, 2022 the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law and the John Locke Foundation submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of North Carolina supporting the trial court’s November 10, 2021 decision to remove the transfer directive that allowed the State Budget Director, State Controller, and the State Treasury to transfer funds from the State Treasury. The brief argued that any court order directing the transfer or disbursement of money from the State Treasury, without an appropriation by the General Assembly, is unconstitutional. ⁶

Funding

The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. NCICL is primarily funded by the right-of-center John William Pope Foundation ($233,750 in 2023) ²  and has also received funding from the Art Pope Fund ($20,000 in 2022) and the Bradley Impact Fund ($20,000 in 2022). ⁷

Leadership

As of 2025, Jeanette Doran was the president of the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law, where she formerly worked as general counsel and executive director. Doran is a former chair of the Board of Review at the Division of Employment Security. ⁸

Art Pope was the chair of the board of NCICL in 2025,  as well as the chair and CEO of Variety Wholesalers, Inc., and the chair of the John William Pope Foundation. Pope also sits on the board of NCInnovation. ⁹

As of 2025, Christine Mumma was the executive director of the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence, a member of the legislative committee at the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, and an adjunct professor at the UNC School of Law. ¹⁰

Michael McKnight sits on the board of the John William Pope Foundation and is an attorney with Ogletree Deakins. ¹¹

1. “About.” North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.ncicl.org/about.
2. North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2023, Schedule B, Part I.
3. “Amendment Alerts.” North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.ncicl.org/amendment_alerts
4. “Independent State Legislature Doctrine.” North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://assets.nationbuilder.com/ncicl/pages/144/attachments/original/1669841849/ISLD_presentation_revised.pdf?1669841849.
5. “Leandro Resources.” North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.ncicl.org/leandro_resources.
6. “Brief of Amici Curiae NC Institute for Constitutional Law and John Locke Foundation.” North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://assets.nationbuilder.com/ncicl/pages/80/attachments/original/1660578981/NCICL_JLF_Amicus_brief.pdf?1660578981.
7. North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022, Schedule B, Part I.
8. “Jeanette Doran.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-doran-1613595b/.
9. “About.” NCInnovation. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://ncinnovation.org/about/.
10. “Christine Mumma.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://www.ncaj.com/people/christine-mumma.
11. “Michael McKnight.” John William Pope Foundation. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://jwpf.org/team/michael-mcknight/.