A huge congratulations to Josias, who after attending both our Future Lawyers Top 100 and our First Year Lawyers Top 100 event, landed a summer vacation scheme at top law firm Clifford Chance. Whilst catching up with Josias, he shared his experience of the whole process as well as his three top tips.
Why did you choose this firm and this role?
After hearing from Melissa Fogarty, an M&A partner at Clifford Chance, at the Future Lawyers Top 100 event hosted by the Bright Network in September 2017, I became interested in the client-focused approach Clifford Chance adopt in their corporate transactions teams. Listening to her experiences at the firm led to her describing the ever-changing requirements of her role as the firm's new client relationship partner. She explained that she encourages the firm’s lawyers to be curious about the law, show drive and be enthusiastic when working in a team. These qualities resonated with me.
What was the toughest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
The toughest part of the application process for me was the commercial case study exercise. There were a lot of commercial issues to pick out and not a lot of time.
My favourite part was definitely the CV-blind interview, as it was an opportunity to talk about myself without any prior prejudice. My interviewer was also incredibly friendly, and reached out to me after my interview was complete - that was a nice touch.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
It was a very positive experience and everyone was extremely friendly. It felt like people at the firm wanted to see the best version of me and there were no attempts to make me feel uncomfortable. So I wouldn't say I was surprised, but rather impressed.
What three top tips would you give your fellow Bright Network members?
1. Make sure there are no errors in your application form. Spelling, punctuation and grammar should not be taken for granted, especially in the legal profession! Re-read your application as many times as you can, and offer it to family members or friends to read before you send it off.
2. Organise mock interviews - speak with your careers service at university to organise practise interviews. These can be incredibly useful in helping to control any nervous habits you may have before the real thing.
3. Smile - the easiest thing you can do in an interview is smile. It will make the process a whole lot more enjoyable.
What was the toughest question you faced at interview?
You have so many achievements, what is your proudest?
