Wherever you went to university and whatever you studied, your training contract is the start of your law career. Our aim is to provide you with the tools and the opportunities to make it a truly rewarding and long-term career.

Training | Trainee Solicitors' Liaison Committee

As a trainee at Clifford Chance you will receive a great deal of support, both in terms of mentoring and training. This will help you gain the experience that will help you develop your skills - whether in a particular seat in London, a placement in one of our overseas offices, or on secondment to a client. Our training programme is designed to help you build a portfolio of technical, business and commercial skills to support and sustain your growing practical experience throughout your training contract.

The structure of your training contract - 'seats'

Over the two years of your training contract, you will complete four rotations in our practice areas. These are known as 'seats'. The purpose of doing a number of seats is to give you a broad experience across our business and the opportunity to work with different teams and clients, and potentially in different jurisdictions.

As part of the SRA requirements for qualification, you must gain experience in at least three different areas of law during your training contract, including one that involves contentious work. We have developed a number of ways in which trainees can gain the contentious experience necessary to meet the SRA's requirements and some of them provide the opportunity to get involved in some pro bono work.

In addition to the SRA requirements, we require you to gain experience in at least two of the following core practice areas - Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, and Corporate. Our extensive international network and the global nature of our business mean that it is both possible and beneficial for you to take one of your seats in one of our overseas offices. Around 80% of our trainees choose to take this opportunity during their training contract.

When it comes to the seat allocation process, after meeting each group to discuss their business requirements, the Graduate Development team will invite you to identify a number of groups which are of particular interest to you. These will then be discussed with you during your individual career development meetings with the Graduate Development specialists. While taking into account the needs of each business group and a number of other factors, we will try to allocate you to one of your preferred groups.

Training

In addition to a two-week firm-wide induction when you start your training contract, you will benefit from a comprehensive induction at the start of each new practice area. This will help you to understand the structure and work of the practice area in which you are working, allowing you to begin contributing effectively to your team as soon as possible. Throughout each seat, you will continue to receive training in the form of lectures, seminars and updates including the necessary Professional Skills courses, and have access to online resources through the Clifford Chance Academy.

During your seats, we'll make sure that your energy and time are focused on activities that will best develop your legal and business skills. You could be drafting and proofing documents, conducting due diligence on a client's acquisition target, attending client meetings, preparing documents for a court hearing, researching titles and leases on a real estate portfolio, or building the data room ahead of a transaction. You may run some smaller transactions for clients.

Throughout your training contract you will benefit from outstanding support, from your supervisor and colleagues within your practice area, from professional support lawyers and people in business services, ensuring that you are always learning and developing. Experienced Graduate Development specialists will be on hand throughout your training contract to discuss your seat preferences and provide guidance and support.

The defining characteristic of your training will be opportunity - opportunity to work on landmark deals, to work overseas and to contribute to a supportive and intellectually stimulating team.

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Trainee Solicitors' Liaison Committee (TSLC)

The Trainee Solicitors' Liaison Committee (TSLC) works on behalf of the entire trainee body in London. The Committee has two main functions. First, it works with the Graduate Development team on issues that affect trainees, such as training, welfare and development. Secondly, it organises a range of social events, including one large event per seat (such as a winter ball or summer party), and end of seat drinks. Elections to the Committee take place every seat, and new volunteers are always welcome.

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