He had a brother, Andrew Downey Orrick, who would become acting Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in San Francisco.

[1] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale College in 1937, where he was a member of the Skull and Bones Society.

He joined the United States Army in May 1942 and attended basic training McClellan Air Force Base, California.

[4] On May 31, 1974, Orrick was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California vacated by Judge William Thomas Sweigert.

Orrick was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 21, 1974, and received his commission on July 8, 1974.