"Our aim is to support you through all aspects of our application process and provide you with the necessary tools so you can approach it with confidence and ease. We will work with you to provide individual support where needed, so if you're thinking of applying, please don't hesitate to reach out to us." Zoe Jenkins, Graduate Recruitment Specialist and Diversity & Inclusion team lead
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Diversity and inclusiveness is at the heart of our culture.
We are able to make reasonable adjustments within our application process to ensure that you have the best chance of success. We understand that there’s not a “one size fits all” approach to adjustments, so our team will work with you individually to understand what support you require or your lived experience.
We understand that it can be difficult to share your lived experience around a disability (visible or non-visible), neurodiversity, a long-term health condition or injury; however, it is beneficial for you to share your lived experience so that we can support you through the process and ensure that you have the right level of support. Any conversations we have will be treated confidentially.
"I completed the SPARK scheme in summer 2019 and I am now a future trainee. I also happen to be Deaf. Before applying to the firm, I was really hesitant to declare my disability as I was worried that it would disadvantage me. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong."
"During the application process I was provided with extra time for the written case study, my interviewers were made aware that I lipread and I was not penalised for needing to have questions repeated due to not hearing them first time around.
On the SPARK scheme the support continued. I was reserved a seat at the front of every talk and my supervisors were made aware of my Deafness. They would turn the volume up on conference calls and when we went for coffee chats, they would be sure to go to a quiet location so I could follow the conversation.
I was lucky enough to receive a Training Contract offer from two firms. When deciding which offer to accept, my Deafness was a hugely important factor. I had to work at a firm where I could bring my whole self to work and where my disability would not be seen as a hindrance.
I spoke to the graduate recruitment team about my concerns and they arranged for me to spend an additional day shadowing a Deaf associate so that I could experience, first-hand, what life as a Deaf solicitor at the firm might be like.
Witnessing how the associate managed everything from conference calls to departmental meetings, gave me the confidence to realise that being Deaf is not a barrier to being a successful lawyer.
I was invited to lunch with the associate and a partner who was also Deaf and they both gave me a completely honest picture of life as a Deaf lawyer and the firm support on offer from the start of the LPC, throughout the Training Contract and beyond.
I also received a tailored accessibility plan from the Graduate Recruitment Team outlining how the firm will support me from the GDL and throughout my working life. It covered everything from access to note takers for the GDL and LPC classes through to a modified phone and office layout once I actually start at the firm.
All of the above, as well as every interaction with the firm since, has made me confident that my decision to join Clifford Chance was the right one."
Sailesh, another of our future trainees, shares his experience of navigating his path to a Training Contract and the support he has received along the way.
At Clifford Chance we believe everyone is entitled to the same equality of opportunity and experience.
The breadth of wisdom and perspective that people with different life experiences can bring to our firm across the globe only makes us stronger and better at what we do.
However, to benefit from the perspectives of our people, we have to strive constantly to deliver that equality of opportunity and daily experience for all.
"I am an Associate in the Incentives team and I have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). I am proud to say I have a disability and with that comes understanding how ADHD affects my approach to working."
"ADHD can present many attributes that we typically hear lawyers cannot do without. However, with the support available from the firm, my confidence in my abilities in the work place has grown significantly.
Since divulging my diagnosis, I have worked closely with the Health & Safety Manager to find the adjustments that suit me, which have included gaining access to specific software to help me in my everyday tasks.
Beyond personal adjustments, the individual advice and guidance I have received from my supervisor and the human resources team has been invaluable.
I have also been able to reach out to our inclusion advocates, onsite psychological support team and Occupational Health team, all of whom have provided me with access to vital resources when I have needed them most.
I joined the firm's disability group, Enable, during my first seat and became the trainee disability representative. I am co-head of the 'Raising Awareness' workstream and have worked on many projects, including designing an intranet site and producing a firm-wide resources tip sheet.
We have hosted events such as a neuro-atypical lunch-and-learn and we have collaborated with the International Paralympics Committee on additional events to raise awareness of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Clifford Chance's dedication to diversity and inclusion was one of the main reasons I chose to work here. There is a genuine feeling of firm-wide support from trainees up to senior management which is reflected in the commitment that is put in-to the development of our internal affinity groups."
Enabling colleagues with a disability, long-term injury or condition or workplace adjustment to thrive at Clifford Chance.
Our areas of focus:
Clifford Chance Enable seeks to provide a safe, inclusive and open environment for colleagues to discuss their lived experience at Clifford Chance. We offer adjustments to the recruitment process to assist candidates with a disability and work with our people to consider adjustments to help them perform in their role.
We have active Enable groups in the UK and Australia, and we are looking to develop this to become a global network during 2021.
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We realise that working in a law firm can be a pressurised and demanding environment. Our wellbeing agenda aims to ensure that our people are able to recognise and appreciate the importance of maintaining good mental health and in building their resilience and ability to operate healthily and successfully.
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Clifford Chance is committed to driving disability inclusion and providing reasonable adjustments and support to enable individuals within our firm to thrive. We are delighted to be certified as a Disability Confident Employer, Level 2 of the UK Government National Scheme. We continue to focus on how we can effectively recruit, attract and retain talent within our organisation, and we aim to challenge attitudes and increase understanding of disability in the legal sector and beyond.
We know there is still a long way to go but here are some of our recent highlights to keep you up to date with our progress:
