SPARK Scheme Review

We learnt about the work and primary practice areas of the firm, alongside its core business values. We also learnt about the various clients. There were networking lunches, alongside multiple social events and opportunities to meet staff from trainees to partners. The final two days were spent work shadowing in a practice area, exploring the day to day tasks of a trainee solicitor.

I found SPARK hugely beneficial, both in developing my understanding of Clifford Chance as a firm and of how commercial law firms operate in general. I left the week with so much interest and knowledge of the practice areas, sustainability and diversity within the field of law, and also a better understanding of what life as a solicitor is like.

It was hugely valuable learning about the different areas of law at CC and about the different roles of the solicitors ranging from trainee tasks to the work of partners. One particular part I enjoyed was learning about how the work of the firm ties into social goals such as diversity and inclusion, and ESG. This was very inspiring to me as a student who had limited knowledge of how firms achieve these goals.

Every person I met was extremely welcoming and friendly. Despite CC being such a successful firm which works on highly complex and important deals and transactions, the people there were consistently open to sharing their opinions and guidance on how to better my understanding as a student and many of them offered to keep in contact for future help. I was surprised by how friendly and open the people were, and it is something that was key in my decision to accept my TC.

I very much enjoyed the SPARK scheme and would recommend it (and do recommend it) to all first year law/2nd year non law students. I feel that I vastly developed my commercial awareness and understanding of the law and the variety of career opportunities that are available to me, alongside my knowledge of Clifford Chance as a firm. There was a wide variety of learning and tasks set, alongside social events and meeting likeminded students. The experience as a whole was hugely valuable.

Yes

Be yourself! The firm has a culture that I believe allows everyone to express themselves, and be completely true to who they are. I would recommend that people who want to apply use the firms website to understand the firms aims and vision, and work on developing their passion for law. Also gain an understanding of the wider context of the work of lawyers and the responsibility of big corporate firms, and the way that the law can help to improve the world we live in, as this is something that CC clearly values highly.