Paralegal Apprenticeships

Clifford Chance Newcastle offers you the opportunity to join one of the most pre-eminent international law firms in the world. We established our Newcastle office in early 2018, where our team of more than 80 paralegals, senior paralegals and operations managers bring decades of experience, expertise and specialist knowledge to areas such as legal tech and process-driven service delivery.

The firm currently has two Legal Delivery Centres, one in Newcastle and one in Delhi. The two centres work together to support lawyer teams across the globe. The team in Newcastle works on matters for all the firm's practice areas, providing support for a range of legal tasks while ensuring that knowledge, resources, processes and technology are deployed effectively. Our Newcastle delivery centre offers a close-knit and inclusive culture with the resources and support of a global elite law firm.

In partnership with the University of Law join our annual September cohort and embark on a two-year paralegal apprenticeship. You'll be working in a team with paralegals at differing levels and senior stakeholders across the business. Your role will be to assist them with all aspects of delivery across a range of projects, practice areas and offices, whilst working towards attaining your paralegal apprenticeship qualification.

We are looking for people who are organised, enthusiastic and detail focused. The role requires you to be proactive and forward thinking, able to deal with and juggle competing demands for a variety of complex tasks.

You'll be paid the "Real Living Wage" and if successful at the end of the programme, you will have the opportunity to become a permanent Paralegal within the Newcastle Office.

Apprenticeship Key Dates

Applications open: December 2024

Applications close: 16 February 2025 at 23:59.

Application process: Online application, online assessment centre, pre-recorded Video interview, in person interview.

Online Assessments: The assessment centre will include two online tests: Following Instructions and Proofreading. A practice test will be available, and candidates will have one week to complete the assessments upon receiving the link.

Pre-recorded video interview: Essentially an interview with no interview panel, our video interview consists of two short, pre-recorded questions that you will be asked to record your answers to.

In person interview: Held in person at our Newcastle office, the final stage will consist of a 30-minute interview with the Apprentice Manager and an additional member of the management team.

Eligibility

Five GCSEs (or equivalent qualifications) grade A-C or 9-4
Currently hold, or are working towards, 3 A' Levels grade A-C or equivalent qualifications
Not working towards or already possess a Level 3 or higher legal qualification similar to the Level 3 paralegal apprenticeship

Stage 1: Submit Application Stage 2: Online Assessment Stage 3: Pre-recorded Video Interview Stage 4: In-Person Interview

Stage 1: Submit Application

Apply online with a CV and a personal statement
Double-check your documents for grammar, spellings, and accuracy
Personalise the application with your unique story and experiences
Highlight all your milestones accurately

Stage 2: Online Assessment

Plan your time accordingly, you will have one week to complete your assessment
Make use of the practice tests before attempting
Try to answer as many questions as possible to the best of your understanding
Please ensure you proofread all your answers before submitting

Stage 3:
Pre-recorded Video Interview

Answer two pre-recorded questions
Use 1-minute thinking time wisely
Use the retake option strategically
Stay relaxed and confident and be yourself – we want to see your personality!

Stage 4:
In-Person Interview

Prepare for a 30-minute interview with the members of our management team
Showcase your motivation and reason for applying to Clifford Chance
Highlight your skills and competencies
Ask thoughtful questions about the role and the team

Jack Campbell
Paralegal Apprentice

"I would say my favourite part about working at Clifford Chance is the community here it's so supportive, and everyone is just as invested in your success as you are."

Hannah Office
Paralegal

"Working at Clifford Chance makes me feel like I can really achieve something."

Jason Gatchalian
Paralegal

"Although I have only been working for Clifford Chance for over a year, I feel that I have significantly developed as a person and as a working professional."

Callum Wallace
Paralegal Apprentice

"The apprenticeship has enabled me to gain experience in a variety of legal work, see what lawyers and other legal professionals do, and know what it's like to work for a magic circle law firm."

Chloe Storey
Managing Paralegal

"The most rewarding part of the apprentice programme was being able to work on large, newsworthy matters for our big clients."

Daniel Maddison
Supervisory Paralegal

"One of the main reasons I see a long term future at Clifford Chance is due to the opportunities for personal growth at the firm."

Meg Herring
Supervisory Paralegal

"Always try and think of ways you can improve. If you ever receive feedback or guidance use it for future workstreams or projects"

Rhys Redpath
Paralegal

"My expectation was that it would be a chaos, demanding and daunting working environment within a law firm however, it is the complete opposite which was very pleasant when starting my first ever job."

Apprenticeship Key Dates