When real estate developer Jeff Bartos, co-founder of the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund, asked Theodore K. Warner Professor of Law and Professor of Real Estate Michael Knoll for assistance in getting his project to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic moving, Knoll knew that Penn Law School’s JD/MBA students would be a perfect fit.
In particular, three recent graduates of the Law School and the Wharton MBA program jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund, which is modeled after a similar program in Virginia that provides $3,000 forgivable loans to small businesses in need. The JD/MBAs developed a system to track and process the applications that came pouring in, organized a group of fellow law student volunteers to review applications and have made an incredible impact on the Fund’s efforts.
“The Penn Law students have been incredible and indispensable members of the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund team,” says Bartos. “The student coordinators recruited a dedicated and talented group of volunteers who have made the application and review process run efficiently, professionally, and seamlessly.”
“Lawyers don’t have a lot of opportunities to be of service during the current crisis,” says Knoll, “but working with the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund has enabled our students to make a real difference for small business owners—and it’s also been rewarding for them as well.”
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