Vacation Scheme at Clifford Chance Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a Vacation Schemer. Everyone I engaged with was so supportive and approachable. I really enjoyed sitting in with my colleagues in my department as it gave me a real insight into commercial law and the life of a trainee. I also enjoyed networking and making lifelong friends with my peers as we all in the same situation.

I really felt valued by my colleagues as I was given real work to do. My trainee mentor ensured that I knew what I was doing and was supported throughout my time at the firm. Partners and Associates at CC also made the effort to come and talk to us regularly which made it seem that they were genuinely interested in us. The graduate recruitment team were also very supportive throughout and were very happy to sort out any issues that we had.

I was assigned a supervisor and a trainee buddy during my time at CC and both of them were great at giving me support and answering any questions that I had. My trainee buddy even gave me her personal line which I appreciated very much. I had the opportunity to attend trainee skills sessions which was intellectually stimulating. Many employees at the firm from Paralegals to Partners were very approachable and introduced themselves to me. They also took the time to approach Vacation Schemers and answer any questions that we had.

I was extremely busy during my time at the firm. I was given a range of research, drafting and due-diligence tasks which was looked over by a trainee. Vacation Schemers were also given group exercises to do which added to our work load. At times I even felt that the work was too much but I didn’t complain because I felt that it would give me a real insight into the life of a trainee solicitor at a Magic Circle law firm. I also never had to take work home so I didn’t mind the workload.

Not a lot. Although I was not given a lot of responsibility as many people checked over my work, I did feel like I had responsibility over my own work load. I had a certain level of control over how and when I completed tasks. My trainee mentor pretty much told me to work slowly and carefully over tasks which decreased the pressure.

As I am interested in a career in commercial law, the training and skills received will help me a lot as I engaged in typical trainee tasks. It has given me a real insight into the work of a law firm and the life of a trainee. The networking, research and organisational skills which I developed whilst on the scheme will also help me during my studies and future career regardless of where I decided to work.

I really enjoyed the general atmosphere at Clifford Chance. The general atmosphere at the firm was friendly, approachable and extremely welcoming. Everybody at the firm was welcoming- from paralegals, partners, trainees and the graduate recruitment team. People were so happy to take time out of their day to answer any questions that I had and some even introduced themselves to me. In the department I was in, I sat with different people and they were happy to sit with me and answer questions about CC, law and generally about my work.

The vacation scheme was very well structured and organised. It had a good mix of networking sessions, firm presentations and skills sessions. We were also invited to departmental events and insights which I really enjoyed as it was a good way to meet other lawyers at the firm. The scheme was packed with a range of sessions/opportunities which enabled us to so get the best out of our time at the firm.

The activities that were organised by the firm really gave us a sense that the firm really wanted to invest in us. We engaged in a range of skills sessions, pitching exercises and personal branding workshops. Whilst at the firm, I was certainly able to develop my confidence and knowledge base which confirmed my interest in commercial law.

Very appealing. The vacation scheme confirmed to me my interest in a career in Commercial Law. It also confirmed to me that I wanted to work in a big firm, with great people, many opportunities and clients. My experience during the vacation scheme was really valuable in helping me to decide whether a career in commercial law was best suited to me.

Clifford Chance is based in London so you will be paying London prices for travel, food and accommodation. As a Londoner, this didn’t really faze me but some of the other Vacation Scheme interns were under prepared and even shocked at how expensive things were. Canary Wharf where Clifford Chance is based had a wide range of bars and restaurants which were quite expensive as we were paying City prices.