Tim Brennan ’03

Attorney and Legislator, PA House of Representatives

Tim Brennan didn’t initially anticipate a career in law or in public service.

As a first-generation college (and later law) student, Brennan spent his early years working for his parents’ mom-and-pop restaurant, where he learned the value of hard work.

From seeing his parents begin their business from scratch to learning about his grandfather, who went from living in an orphanage to become a magistrate judge, Brennan knew he came from a strong family background with an equally strong work ethic.

“I was lucky to have people in my life who believed in me, who forced me to believe in myself and who expected big things from me,” he explained. “They also helped me form a moral compass and see the value of service to others.”

It was at Widener Law Commonwealth where he found the opportunities, skills, and experiences to see what was possible.

Brennan found the Law and Government Institute provided him a strong connection to government in Harrisburg, including introductions to established public officials he credits to being a positive influence on him and his work. In fact, several of his professors became his colleagues, including Adjunct Professor Vince Deliberato, Jr., who serves as the longtime director of the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau.

During his time at WLC, Brennan served as a member of its law review and received the 2003 Widener Law Journal (now Widener Commonwealth Law Review) Outstanding Student Article Award for his article on the Pennsylvania congressional redistricting cycle and the litigation that followed. This gave him the opportunity to speak with state leaders, attend the U.S. Supreme Court argument on the case, and draft a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution. In addition, he served as president of WLC’s International Law Society and studied abroad at Trinity University in Ireland and in the Czech Republic at Charles University, where he had a Czech Supreme Court justice as an instructor.

Brennan said he credits Widener Law Commonwealth with his career success, both as a practicing attorney and as a legislator.

“I have always heard that law school doesn’t teach you the law, it teaches you how to be a lawyer. I certainly became more analytical, structured, and goal driven. A Widener Law Commonwealth education definitely gave me an advantage with any aspect of the practice of law involving government, administrative bodies or the legislature. No other school in Pennsylvania provides the amount of those types of opportunities.”

Interview was conducted in Winter 2023.