Bruce R. Hopkins is a lawyer who divides his time between the writing of books and his monthly newsletter, law school teaching, and the practice of law.
He is the principal in the Bruce R. Hopkins Law Firm, LLC, in Kansas City, MO. He concentrates his practice on the representation of nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations. His practice ranges over the entirety of law matters involving exempt organizations, with emphasis on the formation of nonprofit organizations, acquisition of recognition of tax-exempt status for them, governance and the law, the private inurement and private benefit doctrines, the intermediate sanctions rules, legislative and political campaign activities issues, public charity and private foundation rules, unrelated business planning, use of exempt and for-profit subsidiaries, joint venture planning, review of annual information returns, the law of charitable giving (including planned giving), and fundraising law issues.
Hopkins is the Professor from Practice at the University of Kansas School of Law. There, he teaches courses on nonprofit organizations and the law.
Hopkins has written more than 30 books on nonprofit law published by John Wiley & Sons. The first of these books, The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations, was first published in 1975; it is now in its twelfth edition (2019). Other books include The Tax Law of Charitable Giving (5th ed.), The Law of Fundraising (5th ed.), Bruce R. Hopkins' Nonprofit Law Dictionary, Tax-Exempt Organizations and Constitutional Law: Nonprofit Law as Shaped by the U.S. Supreme Court, and Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide (7th ed.). His monthly newsletter, now in its 36th year, Bruce R. Hopkins' Nonprofit Counsel, is also published by Wiley.
Hopkins has also written How To Be a Successful Philanthropist: Avoiding the Legal Pitfalls, published by Dorrance in 2018, and Ultra Vires: Why the IRS Lacks the Jurisdiction and Authority to Regulate Nonprofit Governance, published by Talbot Publishing, Clark, N.J. (2017).
Hopkins has also written a memoir titled A Nonprofit Lawyer, published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Pittsburgh, PA, in 2017. Another memoir, which was also published by Dorrance, in 2018, is titled Fulfilling A Dream: The Ultimate Law Degree.
Hopkins is also publishing books of poetry -- about nonprofit law topics, of course. The first of these books, published by Dorrance, is titled Beware the Commerciality Doctrine and Other Nonprofit Law Poetry. A second book, Nonprofit Law Poetry: The Second Book, has been published. A third book of poetry is being contemplated.
Hopkins is about to have published the third edition of his book Legal Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards (BoardSource, Wash., D.C.). He is about to publish How to Form a Nonprofit Organization (Legally).
He received the 2007 Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer Award (Vanguard Lifetime Achievement Award) from the American Bar Association, Section of Business Law, Committee on Nonprofit Organizations. He is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America," Nonprofit Organizations/Charities Law, 2007-2020.
He participates in many conferences and seminars, including those sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Law, the Georgetown University Law Center, the University of Texas School of Law, and the El Pomar Foundation.
He maintains a website at brucerhopkinslaw.com, where a current developments outline about nonprofit law is available.
He earned his J.D. and LL.M. degrees at the George Washington University School of Law, his S.J.D. at the University of Kansas School of Law, and his B.A. at the University of Michigan.
He is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia and the state of Missouri.
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