[1][2] Born in Danville, Clement attended the local City of Danville public schools and Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia during the Commonwealth's Massive Resistance crisis.
He also became active in the local Kiwanis Club, Chamber of Commerce, Danville Estate Planning Council, Virginia Bar association (eventually serving a term as president), and Virginia's State Council of Higher Education (1985–1987) In 1987, Clement defeated veteran Republican Kenneth E. Calvert for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates representing part of Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville, and won re-election many times to that part-time position.
In 2001, Clement sought the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of Virginia but placed third in the primary behind Donald McEachin and John Edwards.
McEachin would go on to lose the general election to Republican Jerry Kilgore in the same year.
[6] After retiring from the legislature, Clement continued his legal practice Clement & Wheatley, LLC, and later became a special counsel with Hunton Andrews Kurth, with a practice focused on government affairs and lobbying.