The University of Michigan’s Center on Finance, Law & Policy began as only an idea in 2013. Today it is an active interdisciplinary center that:
- conducts cutting edge research on topics ranging from fintech to financial inclusion;
- hosts 2-3 large-scale conferences per year to facilitate information sharing among regulators, policymakers, academics, and private industry participants;
- works directly with regulators, think tanks, and policymakers to generate data-driven ideas for taking on our country’s most pressing issues; and
- oversees a first-in-the-nation small business accelerator that pairs Detroit entrepreneurs with faculty-supervised student teams from the Law School, Ross School of Business, Ford School of Public Policy, and Stamps School of Art & Design to help Detroit businesses overcome their legal, business, marketing, and design challenges.
With a staff of only three and 26 student research assistants, we could not take on this work alone. Our work is made easier by the talented faculty who lead our initiatives, the committed staff from across the University of Michigan who partner with us, the students who take on research questions for which there is often no answer yet, and the University leadership, which encourages interdisciplinary work and a focus on the common good.
We are extraordinarily lucky to be embedded in the University of Michigan community, where every sidewalk leads directly to a top-ranked school or program. As we continue to grow, we take Michigan’s “Leaders and Best” motto as a challenge – to produce excellent work to make the financial system safer, fairer, and better harnessed to the real economy – to constantly innovate and improve, and to serve the public.
We recently completed our first detailed Progress Report that provides an overview of the Center’s current projects and history Download the report here.