Give a brief overview of your role at the firm now, when you joined and your background before joining
As a background I finished my A levels in March 2020 due to lockdown leading from COVID. I then applied for the apprenticeship in July 2020 and started in September 2020.
I am currently a second year apprentice awaiting my results in September and I am going to be joining the Asset Finance team if I hopefully qualify. My main workstreams are package work such as Bound Volumes and Transact sites.
What is it that attracted you to your career within the legal sector?
I had not been involved with studying or working in law before I joined Clifford Chance so the main point of attraction towards law for me was my interest in business after completing business studies at my time in sixth form. Learning about the legal side of businesses was my main attraction into contract and commercial law.
What does working at Clifford Chance feel like? What has been your favourite part about working at Clifford Chance?
I always feel very supported and respected by colleagues as others are always happy to help with any questions or issues you may have. The general environment is very friendly and after you complete work you always get a thank you and positive feedback especially when projects are completed within a tight deadline.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career at Clifford Chance?
My advice to someone starting at Clifford Chance would be to work as hard as you can, don't hesitate to ask questions and network with people as much as you can as this will set you up the best for your career development.
What is the most enjoyable part of your role ?
This might not sound like the typical idea of fun, but it feels very rewarding for me when I meet tight deadlines and balance my workload and gaining confidence in something I might of never tried outside of Clifford Chance.
The things which I enjoy the most in my job role are challenging myself to large workloads and completing activities which are outside my comfort zone to build on my confidence and experience.
What was it that first struck you about the people you met at Clifford Chance?
I was very surprised when I first joined Clifford Chance at how down to earth and friendly people were. 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.
Tell me about the most exciting matter/project you have worked on recently?
I completed a research task on an ongoing matter with two large multinational companies that I was interested in. I was looking for recently published articles or journals that would be damaging to our client's reputation. This involved using different types of research methods and online searches in different jurisdictions. I found it really interesting that I was contributing to a matter that I was following outside of work which is a benefit working for Clifford Chance as they have a lot of high-profile clients.
What motivates you
My main motivation is my desire to have a successful career and be able to help others with the experience and skills I have gained in the future. My family are also very supportive which helps to keep my motivation so they can be proud of what I accomplish.
The work I do is always appreciated and I get regular positive feedback which is what makes my role feel valued .
