ACCESS SPARK Intern Review

The week involved a combination of presentation-style sessions and shadowing. Presentations were on topics such as the firm’s departments, ESG, the firm’s affinity network and pro bono. These helped me learn about the culture at the firm and the actual work done at the firm. The majority of the day was spent shadowing my supervisor. This involved doing tasks for him and discussing tasks with him. I also completed a mandatory workbook throughout the week.

I developed my communication skills by learning how to ask effective questions and how to communicate clearly over email. My research skills developed significantly as I had to research terminology and information about the firm throughout the week via different sources. My written articulation skills improved too because I had to collate and summarise the information that I had researched into concise and short sentences. I also learnt to be clear on emails by using short sentences.

I particularly enjoyed learning how the business operates and how it has different strategies to become more profitable. I learnt this throughout the week generally and during the commercial awareness session, which helped me understand all about Clifford Chance’s business and how to break it down. I learnt about the roles of fee-earners primarily, ranging from trainees, to associates, to partners. I also learnt about the work done in different departments by fee-earners by speaking to other people on the scheme and other lawyers on the scheme during networking sessions.

The company culture and general atmosphere was very friendly and it made me very comfortable throughout. Everyone was very willing to answer questions and teach me about topics even though they had a lot of other work to do. I can definitely see myself working at Clifford Chance after shadowing my supervisor. I was also happy to learn that there is not just one type of Clifford Chance lawyer; they can be from any background

I enjoyed the ACCESS SPARK internship to a massive extent. I left the week having learnt so many different things about the department I was sitting in to the extent that I felt very comfortable doing the work and understanding everything going on without having to ask too many questions by the end of the week. I look back at the start of the week and can really see how much I have learnt and how useful the internship was.

Yes

Be yourself, be genuine and be honest. Care about how you are perceived by others and put effort and care into your application. Research Clifford Chance extensively. They have a range of resources online to help you learn more than enough to make a phenomenal application. Consider your motivations for why you want to apply to Clifford Chance and why you want to be a lawyer, specifically in commercial law. Consider what it is about Clifford Chance that makes you want to apply to them as opposed to other firms.