Trainee Solicitor

Job Description

During the two-year Training Contract, you will experience the challenging high-performance world of commercial law and gain the breadth of experience you need to emerge as a confident solicitor in England and Wales. You will have four six-month rotations, giving you the opportunity to explore the firms Global Product Groups. You will complete at least one of your seats in one of the following five Global Product Groups: Capital Markets, Debt Finance, Project Development & Finance, Restructuring & Insolvency, or Structured Finance. You may have the opportunity to undertake an international secondment, a client secondment or a split seat secondment with our Disputes team and our Pro Bono clients. Trainees receive a salary of £56,000 in their first year, £61,000 in their second year, and £150,000 as a newly qualified lawyer. 

Qualifications

Our Training Contract is open to penultimate year law students, final year law and non-law students and graduates. You must be eligible to start your Training Contract in August 2029 and/or February 2030. Your intake may be decided by the recruitment team. For further information on eligibility, please refer to our FAQs on our website. You must have achieved or be on track to achieve a 2:1 or above in your undergraduate degree.

If you are applying for our London Training Contract and you have not studied an England and Wales qualifying law degree, then you will need to complete the PGDL prior to joining us as a Trainee. Please note that if you are a Scots or Irish law student or graduate you may be required to do elements of the PGDL. All Future Trainees will also need to complete the SQE prior to joining us as a Trainee, this is irrespective of whether you have already completed the LPC. All Future Trainees who have already completed the SQE will still need to complete the Clifford Chance Plus Programme, which is a bespoke course designed by our lawyers in collaboration with the University of Law. Both the PGDL and SQE are funded by Clifford Chance and we will provide a maintenance grant to use during your studies. More details can be found on our website here. If you have already completed the PGDL, you need to have achieved a commendation (60% or more) overall and achieved a completion (a pass or better) on all modules at first attempt. If you have already completed the SQE, you need to have passed all modules on first attempt.

Additional Information

How to apply:

• Complete the online application form.
• Take the Clifford Chance Immersive Online Assessment and Watson Glaser critical reasoning test.
• If you pass the Watson Glaser test, your application form will be reviewed by the recruitment team.
• Successful candidates at application review will be invited to a recorded video interview.

If you are successful at the video interview stage, you will be invited for an in-person assessment day which is typically no more than 3-4 hours in duration. It will consist of a case study exercise (inclusive of a written exercise), a combined case study and competency-based interview with a Partner and Senior Associate, and a group exercise.

Who you will work with:

At the start of each seat, you will receive specialised training in that sector and a dedicated supervisor. Throughout your Training Contract, you will be closely supported by the Early Talent Development team, your Supervisor, Resource Manager, and your Monitoring Partner. They will all be available to act as mentors and advisors on a full range of subjects, but it will be up to you to make the most of this support network. You will have access to learning and development support from the Clifford Chance Academy, arguably the legal sector's leading in-house learning and development facility.

What you will do:

Whilst your experience in each seat will be very different, in all of them you will develop your legal and business skills, gain insight into our high-profile clients, and enhance your commercial awareness. The tasks you undertake could include drafting and proofing documents, conducting due diligence on a client's acquisition target, attending client meetings, preparing documents for a court hearing, researching titles and leases on a real estate portfolio, or creating a data room ahead of a major transaction. You may even run some smaller transactions for our clients These are just some examples of the breadth of work you may be involved in as a trainee.

Your career experience so far:

Outside of our academic requirements, you do not need any specific experiences or legal knowledge prior to applying for this role.

However, we will need you to demonstrate attributes/skills such as:

• Business awareness and problem solving with commercial insight and an ability to identify legal and business issues. You will need an inquisitive mind and an ability to articulate and apply your knowledge creatively in a solution-focused manner with an ability to explore and analyse ideas.
• An ability to understand our clients needs and provide exceptional client service, putting clients at the heart of everything you do.
• Leadership and collaboration skills with a natural enthusiasm for being a team player.
• An ability to multi-task, remain organised and thrive through challenges in a fast-paced high-pressure and high-performance environment with demanding deadlines.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including being reliable and responsive, and providing regular updates to team members when needed.
• An ability to demonstrate a real desire to learn from those around you and with an ambition to progress and gain exposure within the firm and with clients.
• The ability and desire to take pride in your approach to work and your work output, including proactively seeking feedback and taking responsibility for your own career. You will take ownership of your work, being proactive, solution-oriented, accountable, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of and a genuine interest in the role, firm and our clients with an understanding of how this aligns with your skillset and career ambitions.

How we will support you:

Clifford Chance are committed to best-in-class learning and development opportunities for our Future Trainees, and this includes both PGDL and SQE prep sessions that enable our Future Trainees to maximise their career development, build their networks, and leave feeling equipped with the skills and confidence necessary for PGDL and SQE success. During the SQE, we host a number of Global Product Group presentations that help Future Trainees to make informed seat choices. To set you up for success, each Global Product Group also delivers a skills session to explain key trainee tasks and ensure trainees are best placed to add value from day one. And in week one at the firm, you will partake in our Trainee Induction programme.

Equal opportunities: 

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

Compensation: 56000 to 61000 (GBP) (YEARLY)