Professor Todd Arena brings a global perspective to local community lawyering. He has been described as a “consistent champion for economic development” for over a decade (Lawyers Alliance of NY, 2015), a commitment he seeks to deepen in the Capital Region.

He joined Albany Law School as a Community Economic Development Clinic Staff Attorney in August 2019. In 2026, he stepped into the role of Director. 

He provides pro-bono representation to individuals and groups from low-income communities in the Capital Region in forming cooperatives, small businesses and nonprofit organizations; raising capital and financing from traditional and alternative sources; and in ongoing campaigns to promote communities and their political and economic development.  

A non-service disabled veteran thriving with a debilitating illness, Professor Arena holds a critically-informed perspective on professionalism and the law, one he brings to bear in all aspects of his work. His scholarly interests include the intersection of disability and narratives of entrepreneurship; historical perspectives on, and the political economy of, demands for community control; and a comparative international lens to local democratic struggles for equitable economic governance.

As a legal clinician, he continues his work as a solidarity economies lawyer. He benefits from his considerable experience in renewable energy project finance, community development, cooperative and traditional banking, and financial regulatory matters. A dedicated advocate with demonstrated leadership abilities beginning with military service in the U.S. Army Reserves, Professor Arena is passionate about the transformative potential of economic cooperation and local community initiatives, while always keeping an eye towards global structures and context.

Prior to Albany Law School, he was an attorney with O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2009 and his B.A. in Philosophy & Economics from the University of Arizona in 2005. 

He received a Cornerstone Award given by the Lawyers Alliance for New York as an Individual Honoree in 2015.