Top tips for securing a Clyde & Co Summer Clerkship

Application tips

1. Do your research Spend time researching the firm – start with our website but also try to attend law fairs, webinars, insight days and other virtual events to get a real feel and culture for the firms you’re applying to.
2. Understand your strengths & transferable skills Have you had any non-legal work experience? What are your strengths and how can you display these as part of the process? What transferable skills have you obtained that are relevant to a career as a lawyer?
3. Proofread Make sure you proofread your application before submitting it. Spelling and grammar mistakes do make a difference – for lawyers in particular, attention to detail is key.

Interview tips 

1. Before you attend… Be prepared to talk about your motivations for joining us and why you’re keen to embark on a career in an international law firm.
2. Be yourself Simply reciting information from our website or giving generic answers won’t show us why you want to join our firm over any others. Our interviewers want to get to know the real you, so be confident in yourself and let your personality shine through on the day.
3. Be varied Remember to use different examples in your answers – these can be hypothetical from your work experience, extra circular activities or university. If you’ve had relevant non-law experience or undertaken any volunteering work, talk about this too – they all hold transferable skills.
4. Know your law firm Where possible try to demonstrate an understanding of how a law firm works, thinking about what clients want from a law firm, the pressure firms and clients are under, and how a firm can help alleviate some of those pressures and achieve a client’s goals.