Melanie Clatanoff
About
Originally from the D.C. area, Melanie earned her BA from Tufts University in Boston, and her JD from the University of Minnesota School of Law in Minneapolis. She earned admission to the New York bar in 2011 and worked for the Social Security Administration's Appeals Council, and then in private practice adjudicating Social Security Disability cases across the upper midwest. She relocated to Northwest Arkansas in 2013 with her husband, and practiced administrative law and appellate procedure as a contract attorney. Here in Northwest Arkansas, she also served as the Department Chair for Criminal Justice at Bryan University, and she worked for over four years as Trial Court Assistant to Benton County Circuit Judge John R. Scott. Melanie became a member of the Arkansas Bar in 2020. She began working in private practice in NWA to continue her zealous representation of clients in family law cases in the beautiful region she now calls home. She brings experience from hundreds of child custody, divorce, estate & probate law, guardianship, and adoption cases to Arnold & Associates.
In her downtime, Melanie enjoys spending time with her husband and children, and their labrador, Daisy. She loves to travel and listen to comedy podcasts.
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Juris Doctor
- Honors: cum laude
- Tufts University
- B.A.
- Honors: summa cum laude
Bar Admissions
- Arkansas
- New York
Professional Associations
- Arkansas Bar Association
- Benton County Bar Association
Past Positions
- Social Security Administration's Appeals Council
- Benton County Circuit Judge John R. Scott, Trial Court Assistant
Pro-Bono Activities
- Criminal Justice at Bryan University, Department Chair