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Placement details

About Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, they strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

You can find out more about Clifford Chance by visiting their Company Profile page.

About the ACCESS programme

Clifford Chance ACCESS is an award-winning, two-year development programme for year 12 or equivalent students.

The programme consists of paid and unpaid elements, and the firm look very carefully at the financial support we provide to ensure that ACCESS is accessible for all. Over the course of the programme, you will build your network and receive many learning and development opportunities with your dedicated ACCESS mentor, Peppo Tutor, the Early Talent Acquisition Team, and lawyers you meet across the firm.

You can find out more about Clifford Chance by visiting their webpage.

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The structure of the ACCESS programme

🚀 ACCESS Launch: Your journey with Clifford Chance will start with an in-person launch event to celebrate your place on the programme. At this event, the firm will explain what to expect over the next two years and talk through the journey to becoming a lawyer at Clifford Chance with former ACCESS students, trainees and the Early Talent Acquisition Team. You are welcome to bring along a teacher, parent or guardian to this event.

🌱 ACCESS Development: A four-day, virtual work experience placement offering an introduction to Clifford Chance and the legal sector. The Clifford Chance team will unpack and explain the firm's key practice areas and look at different types of legal careers, from barristers to in-house lawyers. You will also begin to develop the core business skills critical to professional success, whatever your final career choice. This will be held virtually, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere. This will be paid at £400pw.

👥 ACCESS Mentors: You will have access to a dedicated mentor as well as support and training on how to make the most out of a mentoring relationship. Your mentor will be on hand to provide invaluable advice throughout the two years and will be a Clifford Chance lawyer, trainee, or future trainee.

🌟 ACCESS Experience: ACCESS Experience offers you the opportunity to develop your insight and skills during a unique five day programme. Here, you’ll spend time with five different companies in sectors ranging from retail, to media, and sport. You'll also take part in immersive workshops that focus on how law, finance and other core business areas interact in that sector. This will be paid at £500 per week.

📚 ACCESS Tutoring: All ACCESS students can have one-to-one tutoring, delivered by tutors with specialist knowledge in the subject of your choice. Designed to fit in with your schedule and learning style, your lessons will take place online, at a time and place that suits you. Once you’ve chosen the subject you’d like to focus on, Clifford Chance will match you with a tutor with experience in that subject who will be able to provide you with relevant and targeted support.

🎗 ACCESS Action: With ACCESS Action, you have the chance to make an impact on your community right now by working with a charity working to end domestic abuse, sexual violence, and sexual harassment. After attending a workshop focused on creating healthy relationships as you transition to university, you can become a youth ambassador for the charity, where you’ll be supported to help your peers. You’ll also master a diverse range of mentoring skills, increase your confidence, and become part of a movement that is working to change attitudes to respect and safety.

🎓 ACCESS Uni Prep: This aspect of the programme has been designed to support you during your transition from school to university. There will be group sessions from various experts and university admission teams to help guide you through how to approach UCAS, including useful advice on how to put together your personal statement. You will also receive informative sessions from Clifford Chance future trainees who are currently at university, on how to prepare for university, study tips, budgeting and more.

🌐 ACCESS Network: Following ACCESS, whatever career you enter, you’ll continue to be part of this powerful, exclusive community. Each year of the programme, Clifford Chance will invite you to an in-person ACCESS networking event. As well as strengthening your network, you’ll have the chance to meet Clifford Chance alumni from your chosen university.

🤝 ACCESS Recruiter: 1:1 sessions with a member of the Early Talent Acquisition Team will include career development coaching sessions. In addition, you will have access to group skills sessions to help prepare you for the steps that lie ahead. This will also provide an opportunity for you to stay connected with Clifford Chance and request any additional advice or support if needed. The firm's recruitment team will also guide you through the process if you wish to apply for the SPARK scheme.

🎯 ACCESS Coaching: If you have the potential to be a lawyer – Clifford Chance can help you to realise that potential. You'll receive executive coaching, including small group discussions on current affairs, application hints and tips via webinars, application advice and one-to-one interview coaching, delivered by the UK’s leaders in diversity graduate recruitment.

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In order to apply to Clifford Chance ACCESS, you must meet the following qualifying criteria:

• You are in Year 12 (England and Wales), S5 (Scotland) or Lower Sixth (Northern Ireland) Unfortunately if you do not meet this criteria then you are not eligible for the ACCESS programme.
• You must also meet at least TWO of the following criteria (please tick all that are applicable to you);
• You are attending, and have attended from age 11, a state-funded, non fee-paying school/college
• You grew up in a household where no parent or guardian attended university.
• You are currently in receipt of, or have previously received, free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance and/or a 16 to 19 Bursary
• You are attending a school or college with;
  A below average A-level or Higher point score; and/or
  low rate of progression to higher education
  Please click this link if you need more information on this.
• You have been, or are currently, in local authority care (for a period of three months or longer)
• You are, or have been, a full-time or part-time carer
• You came to the UK as a refugee or an asylum seeker.
• At age 14, the occupation of the main household earner (parent/guardian) is considered to be in the lower socioeconomic group which is namely; technical and craft occupations such as: motor mechanic, plumber, printer, electrician, gardener, train driver routine, semi-routine manual and service occupations such as: postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant, HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter or waitress, bar staff. A summary of this can be found here.
• Long-term unemployed (claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year)

Note: young people who meet the local authority care criterion do not need to meet any other criterion.

Next steps: 

• Complete the online application form.
• Take the Watson Glaser critical reasoning test.
• If you pass the Watson Glaser test, your application form will be reviewed by the Clifford Chance recruitment team.
• Successful candidates at application review will be invited to a video interview with a member of the Early Talent Acquisition Team.

View further details and apply by clicking 'Apply' at the top of this page!