Uptree

Basma is an A-level student currently studying English Literature, Sociology, French and also taking an Extended Project Qualification.

In March, Basma was chosen from 336 applications to attend the highly-competitive work experience day with Clifford Chance due to her excellent motivation statement and clear love for the industry. Basma spoke to us recently about her experience with the event and here she offered some great advice with regards to pursuing a career in law.

How did you prepare for the event?

Before the work experience day, I conducted research on the famous Clifford Chance. Making sure I was aware of Clifford Chance’s values and ethos , as well as what the law firm offers, such as what types of law they cove. This aided me in understanding what the speakers/Clifford Chance employees were discussing throughout the event.

Carrying out my research was very simple as I started by using Clifford Chance’s website and LinkedIn profile.

Here, I was able to research different employees and their current jobs, as well as access more information from Clifford Chance’s LinkedIn profile .

I also put together a list of questions for the speakers. This benefitted me because I was able to ask the questions I had planned during the Q&A session, rather than trying to think of questions during the event which may have affected my focus.

How did you find the event?

The work experience was very insightful, intriguing and interactive, with a line-up of several inspiring speakers. Orin Begum started off by talking about her time at school, her childhood and how it has led to her career today. This resonated with many of the students at the event which I found truly inspiring.

Baljit Rai then went on to talk about her career at Clifford Chance as an insurance solicitor, which was followed by an amazing presentation by Susan Poffley. We explored the differences between criminal and civil litigations, as well as going into depth about the Wagatha Christie defamation case .

During the virtual work experience with Clifford Chance

This was very interactive and we were asked many questions about the case. As a result, this allowed us to share our opinions and understand one another whilst also learning more about various different cases.

Shortly after, we were joined by several trainees and Jo Ford, who spoke about their educational journey into Clifford Chance. At the end of their mini talks, we were given the chance to ask any questions we had, which made the event really interactive as we were able to communicate with trainees who were recently in our position at Sixth Form.

What I found most interesting was that despite Clifford Chance being one of the top ten largest law firms in the world, it still caters to pro bono cases. This is truly amazing as some large law firms do not have the time to take on pro bono cases.

Furthermore, I was made aware of the amazing schemes that Clifford Chance provides for students in order to ease their journey into a law career. These include the ACCESS scheme ( London and Newcastle ) as well as the SPARK scheme, to name a few.

Do you have any advice for other students?

My advice to students who are interested in pursuing a career in law would be to always ask. You’ll never get what you don’t ask for so don’t be hesitant! Keep going, keep asking and all of your hard work will eventually pay off!

This applies to all aspects of your life; specifically if you’re having a difficult time finding work experience. Remember to always ask because the worst answer is ‘no’, and that doesn’t mean anything. Keep going, keep asking and all of your hard work will eventually pay off!

A huge thank you to the Uptree team and Clifford Chance for hosting such an interactive and informative event!