Michigan Law and JPMorgan Chase have joined together to launch the Detroit Neighborhood Business Project (DNBP), a program to address barriers to growth and provide legal support for Detroit’s neighborhood small businesses.
Using a $127,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase, eight law students, with faculty supervision, will work with small businesses each semester by providing legal advice on entity formation, employment, intellectual property leasing, real estate transactions, and contracts for goods or services.
The project also will draw in faculty and students from other schools and departments across the University to better meet small-business needs.
The DNBP will join a number of technical assistance programs that are working to solve pressing problems in Detroit’s small-business community.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with JPMorgan Chase, the Detroit Development Fund, and other local organizations to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in Detroit’s neighborhoods,” says Michael S. Barr, the Roy F. and Jean Humphrey Proffitt Professor of Law.
“Small businesses suffer from a well-documented lack of access to capital, business, and legal advice, and networks for mentoring and business opportunities. University of Michigan faculty and students can help address these barriers to growth.”
