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Clifford Chance Graduate Careers

Welcome to Clifford Chance's law firm hub. This is the place to find out everything you need to know about one of the UK's leading law firms. 

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The AllAboutLaw perspective on Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance is a global Magic Circle law firm with offices across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. Renowned for their international expertise, the firm has previously been recognised as International Law Firm of the Year at IFLR. Trainees will join a world-leading team and can look forward to working on cutting-edge deals. 

Trainees at this prestigious firm are expected to work hard, which many current trainees see as a strength, describing the work as “fast-paced, complex and rewarding.” Another trainee stated, “it’s the variety of projects and pace of change that keeps me at the firm.” Lawyers feel supported, with a two-year buddy program starting once you receive your training contract offer, allowing you to learn what to expect from a current trainee. 

You will also be well rewarded for your hard work with a competitive starting salary and a variety of benefits offered by the firm, such as concierge services, free meals in the evenings, on-site healthcare, and a free gym and pool. Furthermore, with the firm’s multiple offices across the globe, trainees can spend a seat in places as far as São Paulo and Hong Kong. 

The firm advocates that prestige should not mean exclusivity and is renowned for its commitment to inclusion and democratising access to the profession. It offers several schemes aimed at encouraging those from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue a law career. ACCESS work provides two years of work experience, one-on-one tutoring and mentorship to year 12 students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ensuring access to work experience is no longer about who you know. A former ACCESS alumni described this as a "gateway to accessing contacts and gaining mentorship in an industry that I previously had no connections to."

Furthering this commitment is ACCEPT, the firm’s Insight Day for LGBTQ+ students interested in law, where aspiring lawyers discuss topical issues and learn from professionals about their experience. One trainee describes their experience as follows: “they place such a value on you being an individual which is really refreshing”.

What the firm says

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.

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Data

• 1st year trainee£56,000
• 2nd year trainee£61,000
• GDL course fees paidYes
• GDL living costs grant London£12,500
• GDL living costs grant ex. LDN£10,000
• LPC course fees paidYes
• UK Offices2
• NQ salary£150,000

Awards

• Winner - Most Sustainable Recruitment Campaign
• Winner - Most Sustainable Recruitment Process

Sustainability

Sustainability is incredibly important to this law firm. The firm has signed up to the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance pledge, which is a movement committed to finding more sustainable ways to attract early talent.

Academic requirements

• A-levels Not Assessed
• Degree 2:1

Clifford Chance’s commitment to diversity shines through in their application process. They operate a blind CV policy during assessment centres and use a contextual based recruitment system to make the process more accessible.

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Diversity interests

Clifford Chance see inclusion as a core value of the firm and also of the law. They believe that if you have a commitment to inclusion you must be prepared to use your skills and influence to champion, campaign and work to deliver on your values. So their goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience.

Clifford Chance has a number of employee networks and a mental health advocate initiative championed by senior leaders, which help to engage their colleagues in diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing.

For specific information on each of the employee networks, please visit the Our Culture section of their website 

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