Clifford Chance
London·New York
Banking & finance·M&A·Legal tech
Formed in 1987 by the merger of Clifford Turner and Coward Chance, the legal profession's first-ever 'super-merger', Clifford Chance became the first Magic Circle firm to practise US law, a genuinely global institution before that was the industry norm.
Why this firm
Created the legal profession's first-ever 'super-merger'
One of the five Magic Circle firms
The IGNITE programme lets trainees take an entire seat embedded in legal technology
Global Strength: more Band 1 rankings in Chambers Global than any other law firm, including Band 1 status in 14 global-wide practice sections
What this firm looks for
Drawn from Clifford Chance's own recruitment materials
Based on the firm's published recruitment materials, graduate recruitment commentary and stated values.
"Talent can come from anywhere"
The firm's stated recruitment philosophy explicitly de-emphasises CV pedigree: applicants don't need a CV full of vacation schemes with big-name firms, and real-life experience is treated as equivalent to formal legal work experience.
Intellectual agility over grades
Early Talent Acquisition Manager Toby Horner says the firm prioritises intellectual agility and creativity in solving problems over a specific degree or university, looking for people who thrive in challenging situations.
Demonstrated resilience through adversity
The firm's own published candidate profiles explicitly foreground applicants who navigated socioeconomic barriers or unconscious bias: one successful applicant's approach to an earlier rejection: "Give me an interview and I'll show you who I am."
Past applications
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