Our aim is to practise law in a new way, requiring a new type of lawyer who develops legal skills to advise clients in highly complex transactions.

Structure

Training involves spending four six-month "seats" each in a different department (e.g. corporate, derivatives, insolvency, insurance, litigation, real estate, securitisation. Most trainees interested in an international secondment can spend six months working in our overseas offices.

Out trainee induction programme lasts for 2 1/2 weeks and consists of a financial and skills course, client awareness training, a practical litigation course and IT training. Due to the nature of the training contract a majority of the training occurs on the job. Trainees sit with their supervisor, either a lawyer or a partner, who monitors all their work over the six-month seat. They receive ongoing feedback both informally, at the end of a deal or project or formally at the end of their seat, through the firm’s appraisal process.

Each trainee has a buddy, normally a newly qualified lawyer, but they are also allocated a development mentor who assists with making career decisions and making the most of their two-year training period.

Skills development

Over the two years trainees will develop the following skills - advocacy, case management, client care, communication, dispute resolution, drafting, interviewing and legal research and negotiation; they also need to complete the professional skills course by the Law Society. A majority of our training for trainees through to partners can be provided by the Clifford Chance Academy.

Qualifications

The Law Society approves and monitors the training that we provide, and it takes 2 years to qualify as a lawyer. They stipulate that a trainee must experience 3 different areas of law in their two-year period in order to qualify. When training finishes they are admitted to the role for England and Wales and can call themselves solicitors or lawyers.