SPARK Scheme Review
at Clifford Chance
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Legal/Law
Canary Wharf
Review Submitted: November 2022
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Experience
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
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Company Culture
5/5
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Overall Experience
5/5
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Recommendations and Advice
Overview of Experience
Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.
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.
What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?
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.
Please rate how insightful you found the insight
5/5
How would you rate the structure of the insight
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
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.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around personal or professional skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development
5/5
Company Culture
How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight
5/5
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
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.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the networking opportunities?
5/5
Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?
5/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
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.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on the insight
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was paid
Recommendations and Advice
Please rate the future employment prospects at Clifford Chance
5/5
Would you recommend Clifford Chance to a friend?
Yes
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Clifford Chance
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.
