Delaware native and University of Delaware graduate Clint Orem wanted to stay near family while developing practical trial advocacy skills, and he found Widener Law’s Delaware campus the perfect place to fulfill both goals. “I’m from Delaware and have lived here my whole life, and with it being the only law school in Delaware, going here made it possible to stay near my family,” says Clint, adding, “Also, Widener is very well known for how well it prepares trial lawyers. I’ve always wanted to be in a courtroom arguing for my side, and Widener is one of the best places to improve my skills and dominate in the courtroom.”
Following his experiences interning at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in the summer of 2011, Clint realized that he would like to work there after law school. “I’ve always been interested in practicing law, but I never knew for sure it was what I wanted to do until I started at Widener. I realized this was something I am passionate about and that I’m good at. Then being at the District Attorney’s office this summer and working in homicide, it made me see even more why I want to do this,” he says.
While law school has been hard worked and kept Clint allowed for less time with his son than he would have liked, he knows that his ultimate goals are worth the sacrifice. “The day after I second chaired my first murder trial, I woke up and I looked at my son who was asleep next to me. I knew that I had helped make the world he is living in just a little bit safer by helping to put a murderer behind bars for life,” he says, observing, “That’s something I’ve never felt before, and I want to continue to make the world he will live in safer.”
Clint has found Widener Law’s emphasis on practical legal experience to be very valuable, saying, “Widener has given me the opportunity to learn from some of the most respected attorneys in our area. Knowing that my professors actually practiced in the areas that they teach assures me that I’m being given real world information and not just words out of a book.”
Now the President of the Delaware campus’s
Phi Alpha Delta chapter, Clint encourages new students to get involved in campus life, saying, “A lot of what you hear about when you are applying to law school is the competitiveness of it, and how cut throat all of the students are, but at Widener it isn’t like that at all. You can always find another student that is willing to help you,” he says, adding, “Especially if you get involved in a student group, you instantly have people around you that want to help you succeed.”
The rigors of law school helped foster an intense work ethic that Clint credits for helping him in his everyday life. He found that work ethic translating well to his internship experience also, saying, “I went to work everyday with the mindset that I was going to work hard and be prepared for whatever my Assistant District Attorney threw at me that day. When there was a trial coming up, I prepared as if I was putting on the trial myself.”
Looking back, he says that he would absolutely make the decision to come to Widener Law again, noting, “I experienced more and did more in my first year at Widener than some people do in their entire three years at other schools. The real world opportunities that are available right away at Widener are second to none. After spending a year here and meeting a lot of lawyers in the area, its very clear to me that Widener is a great school at which to learn how to be a lawyer. It’s clear Widener produces lawyers that work hard and that are relentless.”
“Get ready to work, but also have fun,” Clint advises future students. “When I started helping out with the orientation week for the first year students this year, it made me think about when I was going through the same thing. I remember being very scared, but also dedicated to working hard. I wasn’t sure how much free time I would have, but I was ready to have none. That wasn’t the case, I definitely had time to enjoy my family and even hang out with some friends.
“I knew I wanted to get involved, but I couldn’t stretch my time too thin, so I dedicated most of my free time to Phi Alpha Delta, and it paid off tremendously. Incoming students are going to have a lot of choices in how to spend their time. I hope they first dedicate their time to work, then to getting involved at school (hopefully in Phi Alpha Delta), and then to enjoying life. Before you know it, you’ll be done with law school and beginning your career.”