David Orentlicher holds a dual background in medicine and law, having graduated from Harvard Medical School and Harvard Law School. He practiced as a family physician and lawyer before joining the American Medical Association, where he directed the division of medical ethics and drafted the organization's first Patients' Bill of Rights. Orentlicher has developed numerous guidelines on ethical practices in healthcare, including those on physician investments and gifts from industry. His legislative experience includes serving in the Indiana House of Representatives and the Nevada Assembly, where he chaired various committees related to education, health, and human services. Orentlicher is currently a professor at UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law.

David Orentlicher's career straddles the medical and legal worlds, giving him a unique vantage point on health policy. His legislative work frequently intersects with ethical considerations, as evidenced by his development of guidelines for physician investments and gifts from industry. Orentlicher's approach to end-of-life, organ transplantation, and reproductive issues reveals a calculated effort to balance ethical standards with practical implementation, often aligning with opposing factions on environmental regulations to protect regional industrial interests. His rhetorical style is notably measured, focusing on ethical frameworks and practical applications rather than ideological rigidity.