‘A testament to the firm’s culture’: Shona Roberts on ACCEPT from Clifford Chance

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Nov 01, 2021

Written By Emma Finamore

The legal industry and the City might be seen as traditional, old fashioned establishments – especially when it comes to identity and self expression – but this is changing, and some firms are spearheading an exciting change in culture. ACCEPT, for example, is a groundbreaking conference held by Clifford Chance that gives LGBT+ students the chance to hear from senior role models in the law industry, and find out how their identities and careers can complement one another. Attendees unpick important topical issues for the LGBT+ community – exploring everything from mental health and social media to what it’s like to be LGBT+ and working in the City – and share inspiring stories.

“It is increasingly known that over 40% of LGBTQ+ people go back into the closet when they start their first job. This percentage is often higher in industries that are perceived to be “traditional”, such as law, “ says Shona Roberts, a future trainee with the firm. “This is why I applied to Clifford Chance’s ACCEPT Conference – I wanted to see whether it was an environment I could feel both welcome and able to thrive in.”

Empowering & inspiring: sharing stories

The conference was split across two days, including a social and a full day of panel events and group discussions focussing on different issues facing the LGBT+ community, such as bi-visibility and how to be a better ally to trans people following the recent rise in hate crimes both in the UK and US. Previous years have explored subjects like mental health and addiction in the LGBT+ community.

While Shona says they really enjoyed the pre-conference online social – ”a great way to learn more about the firm through talks from graduate recruitment” – and meeting like-minded peers, the thing that really struck a chord with them was meeting people like Tiernan Brady, the firm’s Global Director of Inclusion, and listening to their stories, which they describe as “empowering and inspiring”.

“These stories were obviously very personal,” Shona explains. “And I was thoroughly surprised how everyone was unapologetically ‘them’, which I think is a testament to the firm’s culture.

“Prior to attending this conference I was one of many who held the view that the legal sector was a difficult one to be your true authentic self as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. This conference, however, completely changed this point of view. At the start of the conference Zoe Jenkins from graduate recruitment said, ‘Just so you know, some people say this conference is life changing’ to which we all shrugged, but I can now genuinely say I am one of those people now. I felt so empowered by this experience that I had to apply to the firm!”

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Write a winning application

As well as demonstrating how Clifford Chance is a welcoming, diverse place, the conference also armed Shona with the knowledge they needed to write a winning application. “This conference is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the firm’s culture and experience firsthand how different Clifford Chance is from other firms. I was able to use this experience and knowledge in both my ‘Why CC?’ and ‘Why law?’ questions, which I believe helped me to stand out – my answer was unique and tailored to the firm.

“The lasting impression I had was that this is a firm committed to diversity and inclusion. It came across effortlessly through discussions of their infinity network ARCUS and their pro-bono work on the X-Passport Case. CC is one of few firms, in my opinion, who puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to diversity and inclusion. It is more than a marketing exercise.” Using their new-found knowledge about the culture at Clifford Chance, Shona tailored the application by focusing on their own diversity and inclusion work, demonstrating they had both a real commitment to the firm’s values and the core competencies that a trainee needs to succeed.

And when it comes to applying to take part in the conference, Shona has some great practical advice too: “The 300-word question about extracurriculars and positions of responsibility is a shorter version of the question you are asked on your Training Contract and SPARK applications. This answer should be about you and you alone. Use this as an opportunity to show your authentic self and what makes you different from everyone else. If you can use metrics to quantify your impact, then use metrics.”

Build your network

Despite it playing a key part in their decision to apply to Clifford Chance, at first Shona was a little apprehensive about ACCEPT. “I think the hardest thing about the experience was the nerves beforehand,” they admit. “I found the idea of attending a conference like this with a Magic Circle Law Firm really daunting and I questioned why I’d even been selected. But I think it’s important to remember that everyone, to varying degrees, feels this.

“Once my mentor told me this, I completely changed my mindset going into the event. After all, this conference is an opportunity to learn and meet amazing people of all ages and backgrounds and begin to build your network. The people you’ll be attending this conference will be your peers; I mean, you’ll never know who could turn up as opposing counsel.”

Now a Future Trainee with Clifford Chance, Shona and the peers they met at ACCEPT are still in the same WhatsApp group chat that was set up during the conference – ”We still use it today to celebrate everyone’s success and help each other with projects and applications – and says that the event has given them the confidence to be their true, whole self. “I think this is perhaps the best thing I can bring to my Training Contract, as a room full of the same types of people will only lead to the same ideas over and over again,” they say.

“This sounds like a total cliché, but I was brought up with the belief that if someone opens the door for you, you need to ensure it stays open for two other people. I hope that once I join the firm I’ll be able to be a part of the ACCEPT Conference, to talk to the next generation of LGBTQ+ lawyers and hopefully inspire them in the same way they inspired me.”

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