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Clifford Chance

4.1
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Clifford Chance Graduate Programs & Internships

  • Law

Clifford Chance is a premier global law firm committed to setting the standard for excellence in legal skills and client service around the world. Joining us means sharing that commitment, a drive to innovate and grasp new opportunities as we help our clients to address a wide range of business, financial and legal issues.

Diverse, international and commercially-savvy. Across Asia Pacific, Clifford Chance is where bright minds meet.

What makes Clifford Chance lawyers different?

  • Collaborative and adaptable culture.
  • Work together across borders, languages and legal systems.
  • Sharing insights and expertise to achieve our clients’ commercial goals.
  • We’re pioneers, working on many ‘first of a kind’ deals. 
  • Highly professional and self-assured, with an entrepreneurial streak, they embrace our culture of learning and are more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge.

If that sounds like a fit for you, and if your aim is to work at the cutting edge of commercial law, with outstanding legal and business training, and equally impressive ‘on the job’ experience, take a closer look at Clifford Chance.

Recruitment Process

Clifford Chance selection process is designed to identify people who have the right intellect, motivation and personal qualities to succeed as an international lawyer with Clifford Chance.

Recruitment process for Graduates & Clerks

  1. Online written application.
  2. First round interview with HR and a Lawyer (CV Blind).
  3. A written case study followed by a second round interview with a Partner, Lawyer and HR.
  4. Offer of Clerkship /Graduate Program or feedback from the process.

To be successful you will need to demonstrate your potential to become a first-class lawyer and your willingness to take advantage of the many opportunities that you encounter. You will need to exhibit ambition, drive and commitment, the ability to articulate ideas clearly, and the desire to build relationships and deliver outstanding service. We're also looking for business awareness, a keen commercial insight and a strong ability to lead and to manage.

You should look to demonstrate your intellectual curiosity, common sense, strong interpersonal skills, an interest in business and the capacity to assimilate detailed information quickly. These are the qualities that will determine your future with us – not your background. Above all, we are looking for people who aim for the very best in what they want to achieve and where they choose to work.

Remuneration & Career Growth

Graduate Program benefits

  • 20 days leave (with a bonus top up of 5 days annually).
  • Medical and Extras insurance schemes.
  • Life assurance schemes.
  • Forward-thinking parental leave policy (6-month paid regardless of carer status).
  • Clearly defined professional development program.
  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects in a world leading organisation.

International Opportunities

Our extensive international networking and the global nature of our business means that it is possible and beneficial for you to spend time in one of our overseas offices during your graduate program.  Secondments are an opportunity for you to acquire new skills and experience, utilise or develop your language skills and give you a valuable international perspective in a new business and cultural environment.

Grow with Us - The Clifford Chance Academy

Qualifying as a lawyer is the beginning of your professional journey, not the end.  

The Clifford Chance Academy provides integrated training and continuous professional education to support you throughout your career. The Academy delivers technical and business skills training to everyone in the firm, in person and online, and for the Asia Pacific region this is centered around our ""training hub"" in Singapore.  

We emphasise continuous professional development at every stage of your career, so training is available to all – graduates, lawyers, partners and business professional teams alike.  The training and mentoring you receive throughout your career at Clifford Chance will ensure that you are up-to-date with legal developments in the areas where you work and also that you develop business skills such as time management, communication and client relationship skills.  A structured program of courses focusing on financial, commercial and general business skills will help you take on more responsibilities within our business as you become more experienced.

Graduate Reviews

Overall Score
4.1
Overall score based on 8 reviews
They Score Best in…
8.5
Satisfaction
9.1
Office Work Environment
8.6
Recruitment
8.5
Salary
8.5
Satisfaction
9.1
Office Work Environment
8.6
Recruitment
8.5
Salary
What Graduates Say About Them
  • Real opportunities to get international experience at an early stage in your career. Further education and admission to additional jurisdictions is encouraged. As the firm is of a smaller size, juniors are able to take responsibility of tasks and get involved in more challenging tasks. Furthermore the firm has consistent stream of high quality international work in both the disputes and transactional spaces. Trainees will often work in collaboration with offices in other jurisdictions.
  • The culture - people are invested in your career and want you to grow
  • International opportunities, interesting and different work to that offered at other firms, great teams and strong diversity and inclusion programs.
  • I appreciate the opportunity to work on complex, top-tier matters with some of the leading minds in the industry. The breadth and international aspect of the work is definitely a plus. Separately, the firm's strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion, in particular LGBT+ inclusion, sets it apart as a great culture.
  • Working with market-leading clients on complex cross-border deals that make global headlines, collaborating with offices in other jurisdictions early in the career and international secondment opportunities for graduate lawyers and associates.
  • The unpredictable working hours
  • The volume, hours and difficulty of the work can be taxing, as is the case for all top tier legal work. Those who thrive on challenges will reap the rewards.
  • Long hours and the high expectations.
  • Working for an international law firm means that on occasion you have to work longer or irregular hours, which means that sometimes you will have to stay in the office late or plan activities around your work. This of course is not unique to Clifford Chance but something to bear in mind when considering joining a global law firm.

Jobs & Opportunities

Locations With Jobs & Opportunities
  • Sydney & Perth
Hiring candidates with qualifications in
L
Law, Legal Studies & Justice
Current Jobs & Opportunities

Graduate Job

Perth
See where bright minds meet: Apply for Clifford Chance's 2025 Graduate Program today!
Applications Close
6 Aug 2024
Start Date
12 Feb 2025 - 4 Mar 2025
Salary
AUD 100,000 - 110,000 / Year

Generous benefits scheme

Internship, Clerkship or Placement

Perth
Looking for constant exposure to top-tier domestic work along with multi-jurisdictional matters from around the globe? Join us!
Applications Close
30 Jul 2024
Start Date
27 Nov 2024 - 21 Dec 2024
Salary
AUD 65,000 - 75,000 / Year


Graduate Success Stories


  • Graduate stories
The unrivalled global opportunities given to a junior lawyer – unlike other firms where only a select few are allowed to go overseas, CC guarantees a 6-month secondment at one of our international offices.

Siew Mei Yong

  • Graduate stories
The unrivalled global opportunities given to a junior lawyer – unlike other firms where only a select few are allowed to go overseas, CC guarantees a 6-month secondment at one of our international offices.

Siew Mei Yong

  • Graduate stories
I really enjoyed my CC clerkship as I felt I got to really experience the firm and what it would be like to work there. Everyone was very honest and open about their experiences and happy to share their time to speak with me about any questions I had.

Meg Green

  • Graduate stories
I really enjoyed my CC clerkship as I felt I got to really experience the firm and what it would be like to work there. Everyone was very honest and open about their experiences and happy to share their time to speak with me about any questions I had.

Meg Green

  • Graduate stories
The unrivalled global opportunities given to a junior lawyer – unlike other firms where only a select few are allowed to go overseas, CC guarantees a 6-month secondment at one of our international offices.

Siew Mei Yong

  • Graduate stories
The unrivalled global opportunities given to a junior lawyer – unlike other firms where only a select few are allowed to go overseas, CC guarantees a 6-month secondment at one of our international offices.

Siew Mei Yong

  • Graduate stories
I really enjoyed my CC clerkship as I felt I got to really experience the firm and what it would be like to work there. Everyone was very honest and open about their experiences and happy to share their time to speak with me about any questions I had.

Meg Green

  • Graduate stories
I really enjoyed my CC clerkship as I felt I got to really experience the firm and what it would be like to work there. Everyone was very honest and open about their experiences and happy to share their time to speak with me about any questions I had.

Meg Green


A Day In The Life Of


  • Day in the life

Catherine Lo

Catherine Lo graduated with ​a ​Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Law ​at Queensland University of Technology in 2015 and is now an Associate at Clifford Chance.
  • Day in the life

Catherine Lo

Catherine Lo graduated with ​a ​Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Law ​at Queensland University of Technology in 2015 and is now an Associate at Clifford Chance.
  • Day in the life

Lachlan Conroy

Lachlan Conroy graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from Murdoch University in 2016 and is now an associate at Clifford Chance in the Banking and Finance Team.
  • Day in the life

Lachlan Conroy

Lachlan Conroy graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from Murdoch University in 2016 and is now an associate at Clifford Chance in the Banking and Finance Team.
  • Day in the life

Catherine Lo

Catherine Lo graduated with ​a ​Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Law ​at Queensland University of Technology in 2015 and is now an Associate at Clifford Chance.
  • Day in the life

Catherine Lo

Catherine Lo graduated with ​a ​Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Law ​at Queensland University of Technology in 2015 and is now an Associate at Clifford Chance.
  • Day in the life

Lachlan Conroy

Lachlan Conroy graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from Murdoch University in 2016 and is now an associate at Clifford Chance in the Banking and Finance Team.
  • Day in the life

Lachlan Conroy

Lachlan Conroy graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from Murdoch University in 2016 and is now an associate at Clifford Chance in the Banking and Finance Team.

Videos


Celebrating Pride with the next generation of lawyers 🌈

How can someone instill change at a global firm like Clifford Chance? What makes someone an #LGBT+ ally? How has the pandemic changed the world's outlook on #inclusion?

50 years of women in the Clifford Chance partnership – Connie Heng and Amelia Hirst interview

This month we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the firm’s first female partner in London, Rosalind Bax. In partnership with our #genderparity group Accelerate, we are looking back and profiling a partner from each decade back to 1971.

Celebrating Pride with the next generation of lawyers 🌈

How can someone instill change at a global firm like Clifford Chance? What makes someone an #LGBT+ ally? How has the pandemic changed the world's outlook on #inclusion?

50 years of women in the Clifford Chance partnership – Connie Heng and Amelia Hirst interview

This month we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the firm’s first female partner in London, Rosalind Bax. In partnership with our #genderparity group Accelerate, we are looking back and profiling a partner from each decade back to 1971.