SPARK intern Review

The first day of the scheme consisted of classroom based talks welcoming us to the firm, introducing us to finance, introducing us to corporate law, and a talk on the firms code of conduct which spoke to its culture. The rest of the week, each SPARK participate was paired with a supervisor and shadowed them in their practice area. A variety of different work and tasks were given to each of us. This was mixed in with further sessions on commercial awareness, ESG, pro bono, and the affinity networks.

The session on commercial awareness really helped me to develop what I already knew by linking my interest in reading the news and learning about current issues to critically analyse how that count affect a certain industry, client or market. The session also allowed me to link back to how this would impact a law firm. Furthermore, I learny some of the specific legal skills such as drafting, document review, attention to detail which are not as common to pick up before a legal career.

The scheme really helped me to learn about the opportunities of a training contract at Clifford Chance, including the potential to conduct client or international secondments as part of the training. I also learnt about CC's key practice areas, what they do, and the the type of tasks different levels of lawyers would conduct in each. This helped me to distinguish between areas more clearly, but also identify links of when different teams need to work together on larger transactions.

The company has an amazing culture. CC is very inclusive and welcoming of everyone. The affinity networks which aim to provide a voice to people from different religions, sexualities, races and backgrounds work well to make every feel respected at the firm. CC also promote a campaign requiring everyone to be active in achieving its culture. Outside the official work on inclusion, everyone is super friendly, approachable and lovely to talk to. This makes it a great place to work.

I really enjoyed my time on the scheme. It was the right level of learning, thought provoking and challenging. The socials which were offered were also nice, including an evening dinner at a restaurant and a pizza party. These provided opportunity to get to know the other people on the scheme as well. The tasks given were interesting and I had the chance to talk to associates and partners about deals they have worked on.

Yes

You should definitely research the firm, know what makes it stand out and why you want to work there. Also be prepared to know why you want to work in commercial law and what sectors stand out to you. Link this back to the firm! Understand how a law firm operates and the commercial factors which affect the work you do. A great place to start is completing one of CC's virtual internships to learn more - it also stands out on your application.