Uptree

Placement details

Overview.

Location: London, with Part One held virtually and Parts Two and Three held at Clifford Chance's office at 10 Upper Bank Street, London.

Scheme dates: The Challenge runs across three parts, beginning with a virtual briefing on Tuesday 17th November 2026 from 17:00 to 18:30, followed by the in person immersive experience on Thursday 19th November 2026 from 17:00 to 21:00, and concluding with the final task on Friday 20th November 2026 from 09:00 to 12:00.

Application criteria:

Applicants must be penultimate year law students at a UK or Irish university, and standout performers could be fast tracked to a Training Contract Assessment Day.

Applicants studying a subject other than law must be in their final year at a UK or Irish university.

Key skills:

Problem solving

Teamwork

Adaptability

Commercial awareness

Judgement

Application deadline: Monday 19th October 2026, with applications having opened on Monday 7th September 2026.

How to apply: Candidates submit an online application through the Clifford Chance careers website and then complete both the Clifford Chance Immersive Online Assessment and the Watson Glaser Test. Clifford Chance does not recruit on a rolling basis, which means there is no advantage to applying early, because every application is reviewed after the closing date to ensure fair and consistent assessment.

About the opportunity.

The Challenge is an immersive insight experience designed for penultimate year law students and final year students of other subjects who want to understand what a Clifford Chance training contract really involves. Through a three part programme that unfolds in real time, participants collaborate with others, use AI tools and tackle complex legal and business problems for a fictional global client. Although the client is fictional, the experience reflects the pace and demands of real cross border legal work across time zones, which is why the core part of The Challenge takes place in the evening between 17:00 and 21:00.

What participants will get.

A virtual briefing and interactive skills session led by the Clifford Chance team who designed the experience, exploring the skills, behaviours and mindset of high performing trainees.

A clearer understanding of the trainee role, greater confidence in their own abilities and practical skills they can carry into the rest of the programme.

The opportunity for standout performers to be fast tracked to a Training Contract Assessment Day.

Travel expenses covered in full, with accommodation provided for participants travelling from outside London.

Dinner, breakfast and refreshments provided throughout the experience.

A £100 voucher for every participant to support their participation in The Challenge.

Built in time to rest between Parts Two and Three, since the final assessed task is only revealed on the morning itself and there is no advantage to working late.

What participants will do.

Take part in Part One, a virtual preparation session on Tuesday 17th November from 17:00 to 18:30 that introduces the skills and behaviours underpinning every element of The Challenge.

Step into the role of a trainee during Part Two on Thursday 19th November from 17:00 to 21:00, working through an evolving situation inspired by the complexity and pace of global legal work.

Navigate competing priorities, solve problems and use collaboration, judgement and adaptability as the scenario develops, with the exact details kept secret until the evening.

Work in teams during Part Three on Friday 20th November from 09:00 to 12:00 to develop an approach to a final task and present recommendations to an expert Clifford Chance panel.

Complete the final task as the only assessed element of the programme, giving participants the chance to showcase their potential.

About the company.

Clifford Chance is an international law firm whose lawyers handle cross border legal work spanning multiple jurisdictions and time zones, and the firm designed The Challenge to draw on the diverse career experiences of lawyers who began their journey through its training contract. The firm aims to make The Challenge as inclusive and accessible as possible so that every participant has the opportunity to take part and perform at their best. This page does not provide details such as office numbers, countries or practice areas, so I cannot confirm those facts from this source.

Next steps.

Candidates can view further details and apply through the Apply Now link. Before applying, candidates can learn more about the firm and its recruitment process by visiting the How we hire page, the Events Hub, the Global Virtual Internships page and the frequently asked questions page.