Where exceptional minds meet

We are one of the world's pre-eminent law firms, known for our broad spectrum of world class work and collegial team. 

Who we are

Our firm, work, and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. In a world where commercial success increasingly relies on globalisation, we offer clients a truly international perspective, and we offer our people a rewarding and stimulating career. 

Our work has a real and meaningful impact, often demanding the kind of knowledge that only international, cross-practice teams can provide. With a formidable reputation in our field, organisations turn to us not just for legal expertise, but also for advice on their most critical business issues.

What is it like to work here?

It’s collaborative, rigorous and inspiring. Our people are highly professional and resilient, with an entrepreneurial streak. And they are more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge. A common thread that runs through all of our six practice areas is a high performance, can-do culture. Partners are hands-on with the work, and newly qualified lawyers are expected to demonstrate leadership behaviour from a very early stage. Every single person is critical to the success of the team. 

Our commitment to equality and diversity

We see inclusion as an intrinsic value of our firm. It is a matter of justice. It is also a core part of our identity. Our history as a firm has been anchored in innovative and diverse cultures and approaches which have both disrupted traditional attitudes and set global standards. Our goal is to deliver equality of opportunity, equality of aspiration, and equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.

Enhancing your wellbeing

Life can have its ups and downs, but there is lots of support available. For example, as part of our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our employees, we have developed a unique and award-winning resilience programme for our Clifford Chance trainees.

Never stop growing

We commit to investing in you from the very start to build the best foundation for your future. In fact, the sheer variety of development opportunities on offer is remarkable. They can begin even before your first day. We have partnered with over 50 organisations and core Clifford Chance business teams to offer paid summer internships to give you the opportunity to develop useful non-legal skills such as marketing, product management, and business operations which will help you to excel. From there, you can take advantage of our award-winning induction, regular feedback sessions, and a sponsor at Partner level.

We embrace a learning culture, and the Clifford Chance Global Academy provides classroom and online training for all staff. However, some things can only be learned by experience, and over a quarter of our trainees are on secondment at any one time, gaining unique international seat experiences.

Sustainability

We have a comprehensive Responsible Business Strategy in place. For instance, we align our operations to contribute towards a number of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on those areas where we can make the greatest contribution, and we intend to continue to do so through to 2030.

SPARK scheme 

SPARK is an award-winning and unique opportunity to gain an unparalleled introduction to the world of commercial law, undertaking classroom-based learning alongside work shadowing in a practice area.

The programme has been developed from a one-week internship into a two-year programme to give you deep insights into our work and to develop your legal knowledge, commercial awareness, and core business skills.

Am I eligible?

SPARK is open to all first-year law students on a three-year degree, second-year law students on a four-year degree, or penultimate-year non-law students. You are not eligible to apply to any other roles, such as the/a training contract.

The SPARK programme launches on 1 May 2024 and you will need to be available in the week commencing 8 July 2024 as this is when the in-person SPARK shadowing will take place.

Why choose Clifford Chance?

Clifford Chance is one of the world's leading law firms, offering local and global clients expert advice on all aspects of commercial law. The firm has unrivalled scale and depth of legal resources across five continents and five core practice areas.

What experience do I need?

You do not need any prior legal experience, a law degree, or any specific qualifications to apply to us. However, as SPARK may lead to a training contract, we are looking for committed individuals with certain personal qualities. We expect you to be a problem-solver with strong communication skills and a basic awareness of how businesses function. You’ll have knowledge of the role and our firm, with an understanding of how this aligns with your skillset. In addition, you’ll be someone who has the following qualities:

• Business awareness and problem solving with commercial insight
• Ability to identify legal vs business issues
• Knowledge of the role and firm with an understanding of how this aligns with your skillset
• Strong communication skills (oral and written)
• Leading and managing oneself and others
• Relationship building and collaborating with colleagues and clients
• Thriving through challenges in a high-pressure environment with deadlines

Where could it lead?

If you are successful on SPARK, you may be invited to interview for a training contract and receive an offer in the weeks after the scheme. A training contract means you will be employed under a fixed-term contract as a trainee solicitor, working from our offices in Upper Bank Street, London, and earning a starting salary of £50,000 per year, rising to £55,000 in your second year.

About the firm

Whatever your area of expertise, you’ll find a range of career opportunities at Clifford Chance. And wherever you’re heading, Clifford Chance is where you can be true to your ambitions.

Our firm, work, and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. In a world where commercial success increasingly relies on globalisation, we offer clients a truly international perspective, and we offer our people a rewarding and stimulating career. 

We’re proud of our approachable, friendly, and team-based way of working. Highly professional and self-assured, with an entrepreneurial streak, our people are more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge.

Hybrid working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach, and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time. Please see our careers site for further information on our working environment.

Equal opportunities

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm, and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally, regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment, including pay, promotion, training, transfer, and every other aspect of employment.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration, and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. Find out more here.

SPARK application process

Applications open on Monday 4 September 2023 and close at 11:59pm on Thursday 8 February 2024. We do not recruit on a rolling basis, and we do not review applications until after the deadline has passed.

Learn more about the application process and apply here.

ACCESS scheme 

Clifford Chance is proud to be a founding member of PRIME. Through PRIME, we are committed to ensuring that anyone who wants to enter the world of law has an equal chance to do so, regardless of their background.

The scheme is an introduction to a career in law, so you’ll meet and interact with professionals from every level of our business – from trainees and recently qualified associates, to partners and recruitment specialists.

And it doesn’t end there. We’ll keep in regular contact with you following the scheme, you’ll have access to mentors, will  at the firm and you’ll be invited back for events and a reunion before you head off for university and will have the opportunity to secure a place on our SPARK programme and ultimately a Training Contract. 

Learn more about the application process and apply here.

Global virtual internships 

A global experience at your fingertips. The future of work experience is here. 

Our free global internships are the future of learning. Created by leading experts from across our global network, our 25+ hours of cutting-edge content can be accessed anytime, anywhere to suit yout schedule. Experience international work like never before and develop the analytical skills that will turn you into a leading lawyer of tomorrow. 

Hear from the global senior partner, Jeroen Ouwehand, as he describes why we are passionate about equal education and its role in creating equal opportunities for all. Watch the video here.

Learn more and register today.

A training contract with Clifford Chance will give you the full breadth of experience you need to emerge as a confident solicitor. The contract comprises four six-month rotations, giving you the opportunity to explore our practice areas, client and international secondments, and our split-seat opportunities.

Clifford Chance is one of the world's leading law firms, offering local and global clients expert advice on all aspects of commercial law. The firm has unrivalled scale and depth of legal resources across five continents and five core practice areas.

Give yourself the best start

As a trainee at Clifford Chance, you will undertake seats in at least four practice areas. Three of your seats will be in our core areas of global financial markets and corporate. One seat could be an international secondment, a client secondment, or a split-seat. You will therefore gain wide exposure to our business, which will allow you to determine which area you would like to qualify into as an England and Wales qualified lawyer.

While your experience on each seat will be very different, in all of them you will develop your legal and business skills, gain insight into our high-profile clients, and enhance your commercial awareness. The tasks you undertake could include: drafting and proofing documents; conducting due diligence on a client's acquisition target; attending client meetings; preparing documents for a court hearing; researching titles and leases on a real estate portfolio; or creating a data room ahead of a major transaction. You may even run some smaller transactions for our clients.

Unbeatable support and development

Underpinning this exposure to the best work available, you will receive learning and development support from the Clifford Chance Academy, arguably the legal sector's leading in-house learning and development facility. At the start of each seat, you will be allocated a dedicated supervisor and receive specialised training in that sector.

Throughout your training contract, you will be closely supported, both informally and through formal mentoring, by the graduate development team, your supervisor, your legal support manager, and your monitoring partner.

If you require adjustments and additional support, we will work with you to produce a tailored adjustment plan outlining how the firm will support you throughout your training contract and beyond.

Am I eligible?

To apply to this vacancy, you must be eligible to start your training contract in 2026 and/or February 2027. If you are a first-year undergraduate law student, second-year undergraduate student of a four-year law degree, or penultimate-year non-law undergraduate student you can apply for our SPARK programme instead.

Required experience and skills

You don’t need prior legal experience or a law degree to apply to us, but we are looking for committed individuals with certain personal qualities. We expect you to be a problem-solver with strong communication skills and a basic awareness of how businesses function. You’ll have knowledge of the role and our firm, with an understanding of how this aligns with your skillset. In addition, you’ll be someone who has the following qualities:

• Business awareness and problem solving with commercial insight
• Ability to identify legal vs business issues
• Knowledge of the role and firm with an understanding of how this aligns with your skillset
• Strong communication skills (oral and written)
• Leading and managing oneself and others
• Relationship building and collaborating with colleagues and clients

Our training contract is open to law and non-law students

If you are applying for our London training contract and you have not studied a law degree, then you will need to complete the PGDL prior to joining us as a trainee. Please note that if you are a Scots or Irish Law student or graduate, you may be required to do elements of the PGDL.

All Future Trainees with a 2026 or 2027 start date will complete the SQE prep prior to joining us as a trainee. All future trainees who have already completed the SQE will still need to complete the Clifford Chance Plus Programme, which is a bespoke experience designed by our lawyers in collaboration with The University of Law.

Both the PGDL and SQE are funded by Clifford Chance, and we will provide a maintenance grant to use during your studies. More details can be found on our website.

About the firm

Whatever your area of expertise, you’ll find a range of career opportunities at Clifford Chance. And wherever you’re heading, Clifford Chance is where you can be true to your ambitions.

Our firm, work, and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. In a world where commercial success increasingly relies on globalisation, we offer clients a truly international perspective, and we offer our people a rewarding and stimulating career. 

We're proud of our approachable, friendly, and team-based way of working. Highly professional and self-assured, with an entrepreneurial streak, our people are more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge.

Equal opportunities

At Clifford Chance we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm, and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally, regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment, including pay, promotion, training, transfer, and every other aspect of employment.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration, and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.

Find out more about a training contract with Clifford Chance here. 

All future trainees with a 2026 or 2027 start date will complete the SQE prep prior to joining us as a trainee. All future trainees who have already completed the SQE will still need to complete the Clifford Chance Plus Programme, which is a bespoke experience designed by our lawyers in collaboration with The University of Law.

Both the PGDL and SQE are funded by Clifford Chance, and we will provide a maintenance grant to use during your studies. More details can be found on our website.

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