Senator Farley served in the U.S. Army in Germany. He has taught high school in Syracuse, New York, and in Maryland. In 1965, Dr. Farley was appointed to the faculty of the School of Business of the University at Albany where he advanced to Full Professor and Law Area Coordinator. In 2000, he was named Professor Emeritus of Business Law. He has been nominated several times for the Outstanding Teacher Award at that institution. In 1983, Dr. Farley received the University Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his service to the University and to public higher education.

Senator Farley is Past President of the Northeastern Business Law Association, and has been a leader on many significant councils at the University at Albany, including the University Senate. Among his professional memberships are the Schenectady County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is the author of Continuing Education texts in Business Law.

First elected to public office in 1970, Senator Farley served as a Councilmember and, later, Town Council Majority Leader, in the Town of Niskayuna. In his first run for State office, he soundly defeated an incumbent in the race for State Senate in 1976, and was reelected in 1978 with twice the plurality of his first Senate election.

In January 1985, Senator Farley was appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation.

In 1989, Senator Farley was advanced to become the Chair of the Senate Committee on Banks.

As Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Libraries, Senator Farley sponsored virtually every piece of major library legislation from 1978 through 2008.

In 1995, Senator Farley was appointed to be the Majority Whip. Senator Farley has been instrumental in leading a number of legislative reforms, particularly the use of conference committees.

Senator Farley has also developed a reputation as a staunch defender of personal privacy rights. He sponsored a 2000 law which prohibits schools and colleges from using Social Security numbers as student identification numbers. He was a member of the Senate Majority Task Force on Privacy Invasion. Another of Senator Farley's interests is the effective and efficient delivery of government services, providing taxpayers with the greatest value for their tax dollar. In 2005, he developed an omnibus law eliminating redundancy and reducing costs in the production of government documents. In 2006, he passed another law enhancing the ability of citizens to use electronic mail when submitting formal comments on proposed rules and regulations.

As a former local government official, Senator Farley has been particularly sensitive to local needs, especially the plight of small cities. He developed and sponsored the Schenectady Metroplex law, acclaimed as model legislation offering declining industrial cities new life through a unique mix of public and private cooperation. Through his efforts, downtown Schenectady has experienced a rebirth, and is now headquarters to four State agencies -- the Division of the Lottery, the Racing and Wagering Board, the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, and the Department of Transportation (Region 1) -- as well as the home office of MVP Health Plan and The Senator Hugh T. Farley Zone Five Regional Law Enforcement Academy. In 2000, he authored laws which saved the Schenectady City School District, a hard-pressed urban school district, from serious financial problems. Senator Farley also sponsored special laws to assist the Amsterdam School District and the City of Amsterdam with their financial difficulties. He was named a "Patroon," the City of Schenectady's highest award for public service and civic contributions, in 1998.

Senator Farley has gained a national reputation through his position as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Interstate Cooperation and his representation of New York State in a number of national organizations. He continues to be a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as well as a member of the Governing Board of the Council of State Governments (CSG). In prior years, he served as Chairman of CSG and of the CSG Eastern Region, President of the National Republican Legislators Association, and Vice Chairman of the State-Federal Assembly of the NCSL. He was named 1989 Legislator of the Year by the National Republican Legislators Association.

The Senator is married to the former Sharon Rose of Syracuse, New York. They have three children- Susan, Robert (Minority Leader of the Schenectady County Legislature), and Margaret. Senator and Mrs. Farley reside in Schenectady, New York.