Hong Kong SAR

Back in 1980 we opened our Hong Kong office, our first in Asia Pacific, and today we are the leading international firm in the region. 

Our track record of top-tier deals is built on substantial resources - we have over 150 lawyers in Hong Kong, around 22 of which are trainees. Hong Kong is a hub for businesses and we reflect this by combining regional reach and deep-sector expertise in a single office. Recruiting the best new talent is critical to our success - trainees are the future partners and leaders of Clifford Chance, and we pride ourselves on a rigorous and fair selection process. 

For students or graduates we offer two routes of entry to our Training Programme: 

• Summer Vacation Schemes – taking place in June and July annually, this is an opportunity to complete an internship as a part of your application. 
• Direct Training Contract process – applications accepted from January to March annually, this is our route for those who are unable to join us for summer internships.

We offer between 10 to 12 training contracts annually and we always recruit trainees two years in advance of their start date. 

Throughout your two-year training you will rotate through four six-month seats, covering our Hong Kong office's practice areas of Corporate, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Global Financial Markets. 

In addition to this, there are opportunities for international secondments to locations such as Beijing, London, Shanghai and Tokyo, allowing you to gain real insight into how our cross-border collaboration contributes to our success. 

From the moment you start your training contract, you’ll receive tremendous direct and indirect support from the HR team, partners and supervisors who have been through the process themselves because we recognise that quality training and supervision are the key to getting the most from your training period. 

The Clifford Chance Academy, a pioneering resource which develops innovative learning tools, will also provide you with support throughout your career. Our Training Contract programme is designed to give you the breadth of experience you need to emerge as a confident business adviser.

You'll benefit from an unparalleled introduction to the world of commercial law. We will offer you plenty of opportunities to see a wide range of our market-leading work, meet our people, and build on your university knowledge. In return, we ask that you get involved, be enthusiastic and curious throughout the scheme. 

 This opportunity not only allows you to gain work experience in a first-class working environment, it is often the first step in your career path as a lawyer. During the four-week scheme, you will follow the life of a lawyer at Clifford Chance closely – you will sit in two different practice areas, working with our lawyers on real, live, client projects. You will be treated as a part of our team and given opportunities to demonstrate your abilities. 

 The scheme will bring out the best of you. To do this we will assign you a mentor and an experienced lawyer one or two years ahead of you who will help you settle in and answer any questions you might have.

The scheme will also host sessions from professionals across the firm to give you a real insight into how our firm works – from Finance to our Best Delivery and Legal Technology teams. As well as showing you the things that matter to us, such as introductions and opportunities to be involved in our affinity groups ARCUS and Accelerate as well as taking part in responsible business activities. 

Our process is designed so that you can demonstrate your academics, experience and skills as well as understand our firm in more detail. Throughout the process you will be asked to complete a written application, submit a pre-recorded video interview and attend a telephone interview with a member of our recruitment panel. 

After these stages, if you're applying for a Vacation Scheme, offers will be extended and during the scheme you will be asked to complete a written and translation exercise. Those applying for the direct process will be asked to complete these same exercises as the next stage of the process. 

Successful candidates will then be invited to take part in a final partner panel interview. In line with local regulations, all Training Contract offers are extended annually on 1 August. Candidates who have applied for a vacation scheme position do not need to apply for the training contract in the same year as this will be considered in tandem with your vacation scheme submission. Please note that we will be inviting candidates to submit pre-recorded video interviews on a rolling basis. 

We only accept applications via our job board. Please submit your application to the relevant vacancy, or contact us with any questions.