Clifford Chance

While at university I attended Clifford Chance's STEM-focused conference, INTERFACE, which gave me a detailed insight into the firm and its tech-focused Training Contract, IGNITE. This initiative was particularly appealing to me, as a STEM student and having pursued tech initiatives at university. I was fortunate enough to secure an IGNITE Training Contract and I started at Clifford Chance in March 2021.

My first seat was in Litigation & Dispute Resolution, during which I worked on a range of regulatory investigations and helped provide advice to clients facing litigation. One matter which I found particularly interesting was an investigation into a major bank. As we were representing the bank, it was essential that we review the materials provided by the bank (including audio calls and emails) as quickly as possible to determine the bank's position. It was really exciting to see the matter progress and to witness how our team and our client worked together to develop an understanding of the issue which led to the investigation.

Another matter which I really enjoyed working on was providing advice to a major tech client on potential data privacy litigation. During this matter I worked directly with partners and analysed data to determine whether it met the requirement of personal data. It was extremely rewarding to see my analysis provided to clients and to feel like a key member of the highly experienced team.

Additionally, as an IGNITE trainee I have been involved in tech initiatives in my seat. One of my projects was to evaluate new legal technologies and determine whether they could be useful for the Litigation team.

Following my evaluation, I presented the technologies I considered most valuable to the Legal Technology team and Litigation partners, which, again, made me feel like I was an integral part of the overall process.

Before starting my Training Contract, I secured a place on the Legal Internships for Future Trainees (LIFT) programme. My internship aligned with my interests as I was given the opportunity to work at Clifford Chance Applied Solutions (CCAS), a legal tech start-up which develops legal technologies for Clifford Chance and external clients.

During my internship I developed a vital understanding of legal technologies and their application within law firms. I worked closely with Clifford Chance lawyers to gain an awareness of issues which could be addressed by legal tech products and challenges that may be faced when implementing new solutions. In order to encourage uptake of the tools, I helped develop marketing materials for internal and external use.

I found this experience to be really insightful and rewarding. I was given a lot of responsibility and I was able to experience, first-hand, what the inner workings of a tech start-up in a law firm actually look like.

I developed meaningful relationships with my colleagues and I know that the knowledge and skills I gathered from the internship will be really valuable as I progress through my Training Contract.