Frequently asked questions

We hire globally, so all students are welcome to apply to our Training Contract. However, you must have the right to work in the UK to be eligible for SPARK or ACCESS. You do not need the right to work in the Middle East for opportunities in the Middle East.

Yes. There is no requirement to have studied law to apply for a Training Contract, but you will be required to complete the PGDL and SQE which we fully fund for our future trainees.

We require a minimum of a 2:1 at university, and we look for consistently strong academics across all modules. While we expect strong A-Level results, we take a contextual-based recruitment approach, meaning individual circumstances are always considered.

No – the intake you apply for is the intake in which you will join Clifford Chance. However, if an opportunity arises to start earlier and you are able to do so, we will let you know. Please note it’s unlikely that a space on an earlier cohort will become available.

Yes, we are a founding partner of RARE’s contextual recruitment system. As a firm, we recruit contextually therefore we consider many factors such as the school you attended and the average grades your school achieved in that particular year (not just the grades you achieved).

You can find the eligibility criteria for each role we recruit for on our website. Please take a look at our Early careers page and click on the role you are interested in. If you are interested in our opportunities in the Middle East, please visit our Early Careers page here.

No – you can only apply for one role per year and you should not apply for a Training Contract with the firm in more than one location in the same recruitment year.

Yes, you can reapply. We know the application process takes time and effort, so before reapplying we encourage you to reflect on the progress you’ve made since your last application. Building new experiences or skills in the meantime can strengthen your chances and make the process feel more worthwhile.

Please enter your grades into our application system as normal. It may be helpful for you to convert your grades to the UK equivalent but please enter both versions in this instance.

The application process can vary from one role to another. You can find out more by visiting our how we hire page.

We strongly recommend you read this page which gives guidance on how to submit a strong application.

If you have mitigating circumstances, please make a note of this on your application form and they will be taken into consideration.

We strongly recommend you read this page which gives guidance on how to submit a strong application. We would like to hear about any relevant work experience, and this does not need to be legal work experience. Focus on examples which showcase your transferrable skills and how your input made a difference. Think carefully about the examples you use – how does your experience align with the skills required to be a great lawyer at Clifford Chance? Whether you worked in a busy coffee shop, or did a volunteering role, we want to hear about your individual experience and what value you added to the role, rather than a description of the role.

Global Virtual Internships: Our lawyers across the global network have put together a series of Global Virtual Internships to provide you with skills and knowledge that will help you take the next steps in your career. You don't need to apply for these as they are open-access and can be completed at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. They are a brilliant insight into trainee-level tasks and will give you insights into our clients, global network, and practice areas. Once complete you will receive a certificate from the Clifford Chance Academy which you can upload to LinkedIn and mention/discuss during future application processes. If you are in Year 12 or 13, we recommend you start with 'Ready Set Law'.

Online Events Hub: We have a calendar full of insightful events that will help you learn more about our work, clients, and culture, to determine whether a career in law at Clifford Chance is for you. The insights you gain will benefit you in the application process too. You can explore our opportunities and register to attend via the events hub page.

Social Media: YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram are also great sources of information. We'd particularly recommend watching our '10 Typical Trainee Tasks’ video and our 'Real Contract' campaign video on YouTube, as they both give you a great insight into the Training Contract at Clifford Chance.

It’s a good idea to practice as much as possible to get familiar with the test format and the type of thinking it requires. You can use the practice test below as many times as you like — your attempts won’t count toward your assessment, and we won’t see the results. There are also other online resources available; some are free and others may require payment. We recommend starting with the free options.

Once you successfully pass a Watson Glaser assessment, we save your score for two recruitment cycles so there is no requirement to re-complete the test within this time frame.

Please contact earlytalentUK@cliffordchance.com if you have any questions regarding our opportunities in the Middle East.

We do not offer bespoke work experience or internships outside of our advertised schemes for undergraduates and graduates. However, we provide a fantastic range of open-access online resources that can be very helpful for future applicants. These online experiences can be referenced in your application and discussed in interviews.

Although recent changes by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) now allow individuals with an international law degree, or foreign-qualified lawyers, to complete the SQE without the PGDL, we aim to provide individuals with the foundation knowledge to not only pass the SQE assessments, but also thrive during their Training Contract.

With this in mind, we still require our non-law future trainees to complete the PGDL. Without completing a conversion course to gain an in-depth understanding of the foundations of English law, individuals would be at a significant disadvantage when beginning their SQE and Training Contract.

For these reasons, and despite there being no regulatory requirement, we continue to fund the PGDL for all those who do not have an English law degree.

The PGDL is a law conversion course that provides a pathway for individuals without law degrees to learn the academic law necessary for a future career as a solicitor. The course covers the fundamentals of law including case law, legal analysis, and oral argument. It also provides an opportunity to focus on key skills and competencies which will be crucial for your future development as a lawyer.

You may study the PGDL at the provider of your choice; however, we would encourage you to consider completing this with the University of Law as we may not be able to fully cover all course fees at other training providers. If you are currently completing or have already completed the PGDL, it may be possible for us to contribute to the fees you have already incurred, but this is not guaranteed.

The SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) is the centralised assessment for qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales.

• SQE1: tests your ‘functioning legal knowledge’ through multiple-choice questions based on realistic client scenarios.
• SQE2: assesses your practical legal skills required for practice

The full programme is one year long.

Yes, you are still eligible to apply for a Training Contract if you have already completed/passed the LPC. However, you will still need to complete the SQE at The University of Law in Moorgate, which will be fully funded and organised by Clifford Chance. Please note that we do not reimburse LPC fees.

Yes. For all successful Clifford Chance Training Contract applicants, we cover the full cost of the SQE and provide a maintenance grant to help with living expenses such as rent, accommodation, and relocation.

No. All Clifford Chance future trainees complete the SQE at the University of Law, Moorgate, alongside their Training Contract cohort. We have partnered with the University of Law to deliver the bespoke Clifford Chance LLM Legal Practice SQE1 and SQE2. This innovative programme has been designed to rigorously prepare you for the assessments while also equipping you with the skills and technical excellence needed to thrive as a lawyer at Clifford Chance.

Around 6 months before the SQE begins, the Early Talent Development Team will contact you with a guidance document to support your application.

The skilled worker visa can be issued 3 months before commencing your Training Contract.

A guidance document and certificate of sponsorship will be provided by the firm. Following receiving these documents, it is the sole responsibility of the future trainee to apply for the skilled worker visa.

Student visas will be sponsored by the University of Law and you will have an option to reimburse your student visa fees with Clifford Chance.