The following are brief descriptions of a few cases recently handled by Duke Law students enrolled in the Community Enterprise Clinic. For a more detailed discussion of the educational opportunities afforded to law students in the clinic, as well as the community impact of this work, please see our Summaries of Activities and Accomplishments.
1. Helped a client to organize a new, international relief organization. Following its formation and once it has tax exempt status, the organization will work to address problems of persistent poverty in Africa.
2. Assisted a non-profit community development financial institution to close a $100,000 loan to a nonprofit affordable housing organization in Western North Carolina. The borrower used the proceeds of the loan to acquire a small mobile home park and, together with other funds, redevelop it as a stable, resident-controlled, affordable housing community.
3. Represented a community development corporation to structure the development and financing of a hotel and conference center that will be located in a low-income community in central North Carolina. Once operational, the project is expected to revitalize the distressed community in which it will be located by creating jobs and other economic opportunities.
4. Represented a nonprofit advocacy organization to research, draft and submit a regulatory challenge to the acquisition of a major North Carolina bank by an out of state financial institution. The challenge was brought under the federal Community Reinvestment Act and addressed CRA, fair housing and fair lending concerns related to the transaction.
5. Assisted a local affordable housing developer to negotiate a formal agreement with a neighborhood group opposed to the development of a proposed single-family subdivision in their community. The agreement allows the client to proceed with its plans to develop the affordable housing project and to do so in a way that now has broad community support.
1. Helped a client to organize a new, international relief organization. Following its formation and once it has tax exempt status, the organization will work to address problems of persistent poverty in Africa.
2. Assisted a non-profit community development financial institution to close a $100,000 loan to a nonprofit affordable housing organization in Western North Carolina. The borrower used the proceeds of the loan to acquire a small mobile home park and, together with other funds, redevelop it as a stable, resident-controlled, affordable housing community.
3. Represented a community development corporation to structure the development and financing of a hotel and conference center that will be located in a low-income community in central North Carolina. Once operational, the project is expected to revitalize the distressed community in which it will be located by creating jobs and other economic opportunities.
4. Represented a nonprofit advocacy organization to research, draft and submit a regulatory challenge to the acquisition of a major North Carolina bank by an out of state financial institution. The challenge was brought under the federal Community Reinvestment Act and addressed CRA, fair housing and fair lending concerns related to the transaction.
5. Assisted a local affordable housing developer to negotiate a formal agreement with a neighborhood group opposed to the development of a proposed single-family subdivision in their community. The agreement allows the client to proceed with its plans to develop the affordable housing project and to do so in a way that now has broad community support.