The Community Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) maintains an active transactional law practice as part of The Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School.

The CEDC views transactional law practice as a useful tool towards building more liberatory worlds.

The CEDC aims to be a resource to multiple communities, including: our Capital District neighbors; members of marginalized, oppressed, and socially & economically disadvantaged groups who are seeking economic freedom; and anyone struggling for collective and universal liberation. In the CEDC, law students operate under the supervision of experienced attorneys and provide pro bono transactional legal services. For more info on the CEDC’s services, scroll down to 
find out what we do.

Founded in 2016, the CEDC was made possible by a generous donation by Edward P. Swyer and the Swyer Family Foundation.

How we work

Community Legal Education

We regularly host events open to the public, both on-site and at community partner locations across the region. These events provide general legal information, where we can answer general questions but cannot give you individualized advice.

Brief Advice Clinics

Brief Advice Clinics are designed to give community members access to limited scope representation for particular topics like entity formation.

Client Representation

The CEDC takes on a small number of clients in-house. As a client, you will be matched with a team of student attorneys who act under the supervision of a licensed attorney. If you are interested in being a client of the CEDC, scroll down for more info on how to work with us.

What we do

• Entity formation
  • For-profits (sole proprietorships, C-Corps)
  • Non-profits (501(c)(3)s and non-charitable)
  • Hybrids (worker cooperatives, democratic LLCs, dual-entity & purpose-driven structures)
  • Governance and compliance (guidance and risk assessments)
• Community Wealth Building
  • Community benefits agreements
  • Community investment
  • Affordable housing preservation and development
• Land justice and agriculture
  • Community land trusts
  • Leasing
• Business financing
  • Loans and other financial closings
  • Capital raising, crowdfunding

What we don’t do

The CEDC doesn’t get involved in active controversies, whether informal disputes between parties or litigation.

How to work with us

We coordinate with our community partners to identify projects that are ready for legal services, that have access to the non-legal resources and support they will need to be successful, and that are a good fit for a student-based practice setting. As a student-based practice,  our turnaround times will typically be longer than a private practice alternative. We strive to provide referrals to resources you need, including  qualified and capable attorneys; however, we cannot guarantee an attorney will be available that is affordable to you.

If you are unaffiliated with any of our community partners, please check out our events calendar and come to meet us there! We often select clients from among our community legal education attendees. We look forward to seeing you there!