THE ALUMNI Andrew Ferguson L'00 Chandra Bhatnagar L'01 Cathy Carr L'79 Karen Peltz Strauss L'81 Langer & Grogan Paula Dow, L'80

Langer & Grogan finds satisfaction — and profit — in blend of commercial and public interest law. From left to right: John Grogan, L'93; Howard Langer, L'77; and Ned Diver, L'99.

For several years, payday lender Cash Today earned hefty revenues by loaning money — at 500 percent APR — to poor people in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. But the company suffered a change in fortune a few months ago, and now finds itself on the receiving end of a most unexpected payback: bankruptcy.

Cash Today was sued by Langer & Grogan and Community Legal Services with support from Fine, Kaplan & Black. They filed suit against Cash Today in 2005 on behalf of 10,000 Pennsylvanians. Within two weeks, Cash Today had filed for bankruptcy and today all of its stores are closed.