Application Process & Interviews at Clifford Chance

Three stages of interview

The application process was transparent and structured. First, I had to submit an online application, attaching my CV, cover letter and answering a short question. The second stage consisted of two interviews with senior lawyers during which we discussed my background and experience. I was also asked situational and commercial awareness questions. The final interview was a case study, where I had to read a client file and prepare a 10-minute presentation to three partners. Clifford Chance conducts "blind" interviews, which felt like a conversation rather than being grilled.

The interview process consisted of two parts (I) two half an hour interviews with 2 interviewers per session and (ii) a case study with two partners.

The interview process was very streamlined and accessible, consisting of 2 rounds of interviews with senior associates and partners respectively. There is a strong focus on identifying cultural compatibility through the process, including alignment on diversity and inclusion values. Online assessments consist of the usual market standard tests.

There were two interviews. The first was with two senior associates and the second one was with two partners. Both interviews were blind interviews meaning my CV was not given to the interviewers which is nice as they get to know me fresh. The interviewers were also all from different practice areas so you get to know more about the different areas of the firm. The final interview included an assessment where you had to present a case study on whether CC should take on a client.

Blind interview system used so no bias towards certain characteristics, two rounds of interviews by midlevel and then partners, no assessment used in clerkship program but assessed in graduate program when open market.

What is your biggest achievement? Why do you want to work for Clifford Chance? How do you prioritise work? Give an example of a situation where you had conflicting deadlines and describe how you manage it.

There was a variety of questions asked e.g. behavioural (name a time you led a team to overcome a challenge), ethical and knowledge based (on the case study).

Some questions included: - why have you chosen Clifford Chance and why do you want to work here? - why have you chosen a legal career? - tell us about your background. - what are your views on diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

There was a good mix of general questions and also more tailored questions from which the interviewers got after we talked more. There were also some unexpected questions asking about my knowledge on the current buy now pay later laws and what I thought about them.

Interest in certain areas of law, why I wanted to come to Clifford Chance, questions about the firm.

As Clifford Chance interviews are blind, make sure that you describe your background and experience in detail as the interviewers would not have seen your CV or any answers to online application questions. There will be commercial awareness questions so make sure that you stay on top of business news and current affairs, in particular read the articles and Thought Leadership on the website as they generally provide a good indication of "hot" commercial topics.

Read the news everyday and be aware of commercial trends that may impact law firms.

Think of ways you can make your application stand out compared to others. For example, do you have any special life experiences or interests outside of law which might make you different or unique? The firm loves well-rounded applicants with unique perspectives, so anything that you can highlight to show this will put you in good stead.

Get to know the firm as well as possible and be up to date with what is going on in the financial news.

Have a genuine interest in international law and the opportunities - one of the rotations is overseas so that is something to consider. Prepare an understanding of the kind of work we do as it is different to that of other big firms.