Clifford Chance SPARK is our award-winning opportunity for exceptional first year law students, second year students of a four-year law degree or penultimate year non-law students. It's your chance to gain an insider's view into what a career in law can look like.
During the five-day paid scheme, you'll experience an intensive schedule of classroom-based learning, complemented with time spent shadowing lawyers in our practice areas, where you'll get hands-on work experience. It'll be fast-paced, dynamic and packed full of exciting opportunities.
The content will include presentations on our practice areas, case studies and seminars to develop your legal knowledge and commercial awareness.
There will be a variety of networking opportunities where you will meet representatives from all levels within the firm. You'll receive a £450 per week salary, too.
After the scheme ends, the very best candidates are invited to apply for a place on a bespoke SPARK Training Contract assessment day.
If you're successful in securing your Training Contract, we'll match you up with a trainee buddy who will make sure that you’re connected with us throughout the rest of your time at university. Our investment in you doesn't end there.
Having secured your Training Contract at the end of your first year, you may be thinking "what do I do in the summer of my second year?"
That's where our award-winning LIFT internship comes in.
We have partnered with a select number of organisations and core Clifford Chance business teams to offer paid summer internships to our future trainees, with the sole aim of supporting your professional development.
Hear more about Adam's journey from completing a law degree to creating a tech startup in his final year at university. Having completed our law tech IGNITE Training Contract, now a lawyer in our TMT and Data Privacy group, he talks about the importance of resilience and how the SPARK scheme is the only first-year scheme where you can apply directly for a Training Contract.
Hear from Tyra about her love of football, her desire to challenge discrimination and how the SPARK scheme gave her the confidence to start her journey as a commercial lawyer.
Hear Ollie reflect on the importance of our global LGBTQ+ network and the value he places on being treated as an individual and accepted for who he is.
Understanding what life as a commercial lawyer is really like through the week-long SPARK scheme was ultimately what drove him to accept his Training Contract within a matter of days.
SPARK offers a unique opportunity for exceptional students in the early stages of their university careers to secure a Training Contract. Candidates that are eligible for our pioneering scheme are:
• First year law students
• Second year students of a four-year law degree
• Penultimate year non-law students
Scheme one: 26-30 June 2023
Scheme two: 17–21st July 2023
Applications open: 17 August 2022
Applications close: 9 February 2023 at 11.59pm
Assessments held: w/c 27 February and 6 March 2023
Selection process: Two interviews including a written case study element.
The assessment day will consist of a case study including a written exercise, one commercial based interview with a Partner which will include discussions around the case study, and one competency based interview with a Senior Associate.
We don't, it must be noted, recruit on a rolling basis, but look at all applications after the closing date. Before you apply, have you visited our Events Hub? Here you'll find opportunities to equip you with the skills, knowledge and networks to succeed no matter where you are on your journey.
Applications are now closed.
