8/19/2025

From federal prosecutor to filmmaker, Charlene Davis ’84 exemplifies the Delaware Law School drive to do more.

Davis began her legal education at the University of Chicago but stepped away when she got married. A decade later, as a single mother living in South Jersey, she was determined to go back to school and enrolled in the evening program at Delaware Law School while working as a school social worker during the day.

This was an immensely busy time in life that was made only more complicated when Davis got into a serious car accident that left her without the use of her dominant hand. But with the support of family and the law school community, she persevered and graduated near the top of her class.

“I had the advantage of learning from wonderful teachers, many of whom had practiced in Delaware, which was where I planned to end up,” Davis reflected. “They gave me great insight into the realities of this profession.”

After passing the bar, Davis began her career as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware. When her son left for college, she transitioned to private practice at Bayard P.A., eventually specializing in corporate reorganization and bankruptcy.

During her 30-year career at Bayard, Davis served as head of the Delaware Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, earning her the inaugural Caleb R. Clayton Service Award. She later chaired the Bankruptcy Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association and served as president of Bayard during her final years with the firm. Davis’ work developing a reentry legal services program for formerly incarcerated individuals earned her recognition from the United States District Court Probation Office.

Towards the end of her career, Davis became the primary caregiver for her aging parents and began to note the “sometimes hysterically funny, sometimes very sad episodes” of their interactions. With encouragement from her son, an independent filmmaker and editor, Davis enrolled in a screenwriting course and began learning how to turn these experiences with her parents into a movie.

“I always knew I wanted to write once I retired from practicing law, but I didn’t consider the reach my story could have until I began screenwriting,” Davis said. “The burden of caregiving largely falls on women’s shoulders, and with so many women in my generation also pursuing careers outside the home, that balance is so difficult to find. I thought my story was well worth telling because it was a story so many had experienced firsthand.”

After she retired from Bayard, Davis dedicated herself to writing and producing her movie, overseeing all decisions and guiding the project through the uncertainty of COVID shutdowns. Directed by Dafna Yachin, a Sundance-selected first-time narrative filmmaker, Relative Control premiered in April 2025 and is currently available on demand with hopes for a broader release on streaming platforms. The movie features lead actress Teri Polo and was filmed mostly in northern Delaware with the support of the local community.

Davis and Yachin are celebrating the debut of this project and are already looking forward to future collaborations based on other screenplays Davis has written.

The Delaware Law School education Davis received set her on a path to not only professional success, but creative fulfillment. She advises determination and diligence to those who seek to follow in those footsteps.

You can watch Relative Control on Prime Video and Apple TV+ and learn more on the Relative Control Facebook Page.