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Creating Interdisciplinary Solutions for our Biggest Global Challenges

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At the University of Michigan, almost every sidewalk leads to a top-ranked school or program. We bring together faculty, students, and staff from across the University to develop practical solutions to some of our world’s biggest challenges. Through our research collaborations, faculty engage with federal and state regulators, policymakers at every level, and consumer protection advocates to test ideas and produce research that makes our financial system safer, fairer, and better harnessed to the real economy.

Our work is supported by people like you. Learn more about ways to give.

Four panel illustration showing CFLP alumni

Preparing future leaders for service

Each semester, the Center on Finance, Law & Policy recruits and develops a cohort of approximately 25 students from the Law School, Ford School of Public Policy, Ross School of Business, Stamps School of Art & Design, School of Information, and College of Engineering to serve as research assistants. Under faculty supervision, research assistants conduct rigorous research or provide 1:1 advice and support to Detroit business owners. Through their research assistant experience, our students develop new skills and professional relationships, often leading them to new career paths. Many of the Center’s research assistants choose public service after graduation, joining the Federal Reserve or other financial regulators.

Testimonial

Suibhne O’Foighill, Ross School BBA ‘22

DNEP +Impact Studio for Local Business intern, Summer 2020

“+ISLB was a formative experience for me. It was my first time building out a project on the scale of a small-medium sized firm, and I learned a lot about the design process as well as my personal style. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to be independent, creative, and to define and deliver what I thought would make a difference for local business owners. This was personally meaningful to me as a native of the Ann Arbor-Ypsi area; walking around downtown Ann Arbor, speaking to local entrepreneurs about the realities of their businesses, and really thinking hard about identifying and solving the pain-points was incredibly fulfilling. We were doing 'the good work' for sure. My experience in +ISLB helped a lot during the recruiting process. The program puts you in the position—with the resources, people, and connections—to move fast towards goals, but leaves these goals very open-ended. It's a unique combination of means and independence for the +ISLB student. And, if you take advantage of it, it is tough to beat relative to other summer experiences."

Turning values into action to support Detroit neighborhoods

The Center coordinates the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP) which pairs U-M students from six schools with Detroit business owners to take on local business’ legal, financial, operational, marketing, and design challenges, pro bono. Students who enroll in DNEP courses get an opportunity to apply their classroom teaching to a real business while learning from the business’ owner and staff; business owners gain a new perspective, a sounding board, and a faculty-led team who is invested in their success.

DNEP

Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project Student Teams Present Their Work to Clients, Faculty, and Students

On December 18, Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP) interdisciplinary student teams from the Ross School of Business, Law School, and...

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Testimonial

Kwaku Osei, Founder, Farmacy Foods, Detroit

Client, Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project - 2020-2021

"Working with the U-M DNEP is almost like having a SWAT Team of talented individuals with diverse skill sets coming together to help you address your biggest challenges and develop new strategies."

Our alumni

No one becomes a macroeconomist or an expert in financial regulation or cryptocurrency without some specialized training. The Center on Finance, Law & Policy is a structured research assistant experience that equips our students with specialized knowledge that sets them apart from their peers—and then steers them toward using their powers for the public good.

Alumni

Abigail DeHart, RA 2016-2019, Michigan Law ‘19

Assistant Attorney General, Illinois Attorney General’s Office

“I can't imagine my law school experience without working at CFLP. It felt like working in a think tank because you find yourself sitting at a table with people from several disciplines trying to solve a problem. Importantly, it taught me to rely on the skills of others. It was amazing to be able to produce a tangible good while in graduate school and have a lot of fun in the process.”

Some of the places our alumni have gone in the last few years:

Federal Reserve Board of Governors
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Illinois Attorney General’s Office
Bureau of Economic Analysis
National Council of Social Service
Judicial Clerks (multiple districts & jurisdictions)
IBM
WilmerHale
Opportunity Finance Network
U.S. Treasury Department

U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Guidehouse
Booz Allen Hamilton
Goldman Sachs
Kirkland & Ellis
White & Case
Covington & Burling
Davis, Polk & Wardwell
Paul Hastings
Paul Weiss