First Year Springboard Scheme Review

I really enjoyed the insight! The work was really varied and I was able to meet many different people at the firm. Everyone was extremely friendly and approachable and made me feel at home straight away. There was also plenty of social activities and opportunities to ask questions. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is thinking about a career in law.

I always felt valued during my time at the firm. During the work shadowing section I was given real work to do and allowed to sit in on important meetings. Everyone was interested in me and definitely invested time and effort in me over the course of the week, which was tangible.

I received maximum support and guidance over the course of the week. All the workshops and presentations were designed to support us in our future applications, develop us as people and inform us about Clifford Chance so as to make knowledgeable decisions in the future. In particular, the afternoon tea session where we were able to speak to people of many different levels of experience (offer holders, LPC students, trainees, associates, graduate recruitment etc.) was really helpful.

The skills I’ve developed and information I’ve received will definitely be useful in my studies and beyond. We were lucky to receive training from Charlotte McDougall on personal branding and communication, which really brought me out of my shell and helped me to present myself in my best light. The presentations were all relevant and targeted to students at our level.

The insight was impeccably structured. We were given a timetable at the start of the week and it was jam packed of presentations, work-shadowing, networking breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and numerous social events. They even took us to Paris for a day to see one of their overseas offices which was a great experience.

The general atmosphere during the insight was really pleasant. Although you could tell that all the students were ambitious for themselves, there was a real atmosphere of collaboration and friendship. Everyone was very sociable but also motivated to get the most out of the scheme and it was great to spend time with likeminded people.

In terms of personal training and development, the firm invested a huge deal in us. They spent a lot of time teaching us about the firm, such as their pro bono aspects, CSR, what a training contract is like, an honesty session etc. which has allowed us to make informed decisions about the firm. They also gave us advice on how to make successful applications, and Charlotte McDougall gave us training on communication and personal branding. The whole insight week was designed to help us grow, especially as many of us were first year students.

The insight week did a good job at showing me what it might be like to have a full-time job with Clifford Chance. The work shadowing day in particular allowed me to sit in an office within a department and observe the day to day life of the lawyers there. I think perhaps more than one day work shadowing would have been useful because it was so excellent.

I got a really good feel of the firm’s culture while at Clifford Chance. The open door policy, teamed with their collaborative approach to work was evident to me, and everyone was very approachable and friendly. The teams were surprisingly diverse and the atmosphere was very vibrant. The culture was definitely one of the main selling points of the firm to me.

The content of the insight week was really useful in helping me decide my future career path. The presentations introduced me to lots of different areas of the firm, and the honest and frank presentation on what it’s really like to be a lawyer was eye-opening, informative and reassuring. I found the content very engaging and it definitely piqued my interest

I was paid well for this insight week, and they also provided ideas for inexpensive accommodation near to the firm. Breakfast and lunch were provided each day, and dinners on two of the evenings. They took us to Paris for free, and reimbursed us for taxis in the morning to get to the station.

There were ample opportunities for networking and meeting employees of the firm. Every breakfast was a networking breakfast with members of one of the teams at Clifford Chance, as were the lunches. The work shadowing day gave us lots of time to meet different members of the team, all the way up to partner level, and the whole week was designed to allow us to meet as many people as possible.

The networking and social opportunities were incredible. The food was always delicious, whether catered for by the firm or at restaurants, and we were even treated to an immersive theatre experience at Waterloo. I don’t think anything could beat the trip to Paris, which allowed us to see an overseas office, and go up La Tour Montparnasse to see the whole of Paris!

I found out quite a lot about which activities are available to the employees outside of work. We were taken to see the gym and swimming pool (both inside the building!) and the canteen, as well as having welcome drinks in the bar on the first night. I learnt a lot about their LGBT+ society and about the initiatives to help women in their careers. They also hinted at a number of other clubs and societies which I would like to learn more about.

I would absolutely recommend this insight to a friend. It is unique among insight weeks in that we were given the opportunity to apply for a training contract at the end of the scheme, which we were encouraged to apply for. It was well paid and the networking and socials were absolutely outstanding. I met lots of interesting people.