Scott M. Curran

Scott serves as general and strategic counsel to the social sector, helping nonprofits, businesses, and law firms scale social impact.

Following a decade of service to the Clinton Foundation, Scott founded Beyond Advisers to help social innovators, philanthropists, and nonprofit, government, and private sector leaders design and build their organizations and initiatives for impact.

Scott counsels nonprofits, social enterprises, and law firms in developing social impact strategies, growing organizational capacity, and creating projects, programs, and partnerships that achieve measurable results.

​

He teaches a law school class called “Lawyers as Social Innovators” and speaks regularly on the role of lawyers in social innovation. Scott also advises law schools in developing social impact courses and clinical practices and consults with law firms to develop Social Impact & Innovation practices. Crain's Chicago Business called the class he teaches one of "the coolest classes for law students."

​

Prior to starting Beyond Advisers, Scott served as General Counsel for the Clinton Foundation. During more than 10 years of service to the foundation, Scott established, grew, and led the legal team that supported one of the most impactful – and scrutinized – global operating charities in history with over 2,000 staff and volunteers working in 36 countries on more than a dozen initiatives. Scott led the team of in-house professionals and outside firms that created the organizational and operational structures that supported the Clinton Foundation's board, enterprise systems, and program teams during their most intense period of growth.

​

In supporting the program work of the Clinton Foundation's initiatives, Scott counseled dynamic leaders and teams in developing partnerships designed to spur social and economic change around the world. These partnerships spanned the areas of global health, climate change, international development, commercial agriculture, supply chain innovation, childhood obesity, small business mentoring, post-disaster relief, globally-focused conferences, and museum and special event operations.

​

As a corporate attorney prior to his time with the Clinton Foundation, and as a graduate of the first program in the U.S. to offer a master’s degree in public service, Scott has advised new endeavors and established enterprises working to change the world. From working with sweet potato growers in the Mississippi Delta and cashew farmers in India to private sector startups and nonprofit spinoffs, Scott’s work has equipped him with deep knowledge of legal, program, and organizational operations.

​

With his background in public service, law, and communications, Scott is motivated by the possibility and promise that bold ideas can be transformed into action to change lives and communities in new, specific, and measurable ways.

​

He spends some of the best parts of his days being inspired by his wife, Amy, their two kids, and multiple rescue dogs, including Miss Tommie and Angel The Wonder Pup, who are both blind, deaf, and awesome!