Ryan's success story: Securing a training contract at Clifford Chance

Ryan is a Law graduate from Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He secured a Training Contract as a Future Trainee Solicitor at Clifford Chance in London, through Bright Network. 

First, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I was raised on shows like Suits, Law and Order and CSI, so I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer or a forensic scientist, but given my squeamishness law seemed a much safer bet.

Growing up on a council estate in Hull meant that I’d never met any lawyers before and university wasn’t really a common route taken at my school, but after an Open Day at the University of Cambridge I was hooked and I ended up being the first from my school to get an Oxbridge offer.

I went into Commercial Law because it’s where law meets business. You’re doing legal work but never working in a vacuum, as you need to understand your client’s goals, the commercial realities and what’s happening in the world to give advice that actually works in practice. It’s dynamic, full of challenges and promises endless opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. That is exactly what I was looking for in my career.”

What motivated you to apply for your role?

“I’d seen that Clifford Chance had the most Band 1 rankings of any firm in the Chambers Global Guide. As I have lots of interests I wanted to work for a firm where, regardless of which department I did a seat in, I’d be guaranteed top-quality work and training.

I was also drawn to firms with larger trainee cohorts and a strong international presence as I wanted the opportunity to work with and connect to colleagues all over the globe as well as the chance to meet lots of new people.

Finally, culture was a big motivating factor. I’d met trainees and the Early Talent Team several times and really gelled with everyone I spoke to. Not only was everyone generous with their time but it also felt like there wasn’t just one “type” of Clifford Chance lawyer. Everyone was different and I got the impression that it’d be a fantastic environment to work in.”

What was the application process like?

“The application journey was challenging. I was working full-time as a paralegal at a regional firm when I was applying throughout September to December, which meant spending most evenings on applications.

At first, it was nerve-wracking but after the first couple of applications I got into the rhythm of it. The biggest learning curve came from reviewing my rejections and asking myself, “If I rewrote this now, what would I change?”

In previous years my biggest mistake was being too generic. I’d write that I was applying to a firm because they were “international” or had “lots of Band 1 practices”, but that could describe any firm in London.

This year, I dug much deeper into my research and made my applications truly tailored to each firm. My biggest piece of advice would be to get as much exposure to your target firms as possible. That way you’ll pick up so many insights that you can use to make your applications stand out.”

How did Bright Network help you secure your role?

“I was able to meet trainees and early talent teams from lots of different firms at Bright Network FESTIVAL, which gave me key insights into what I was looking for from a training contract and helped me shortlist which firms I wanted to research further and apply to.

Speaking directly with representatives from the firm gave me an edge in applications, interviews and assessment centres and allowed me to see whether the firm felt like the right fit for me culturally.”

What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?

“My best piece of advice would be to shortlist the firms you want to apply to for each application cycle, as ten to fifteen well-researched and tailored applications will be much more likely to land you a grad role than taking a scattergun approach and sending off hundreds of generic applications. I learnt this the hard way, but focusing your efforts means you can get to know each firm properly, curate specific answers and show genuine interest.

My other advice would be to think outside the box. Graduate recruiters read thousands of applications from bright candidates each cycle, so make sure yours stands out for the right reasons. Go beyond reading the firm’s website and explore what practice areas interest you, find a deal the firm has worked on and explain why it interests you or reach out to trainees on LinkedIn with targeted questions.

I’d also recommend attending events like Bright Network FESTIVAL or firm Open Days, as you’ll often glean insights about application processes and also get a feeling for whether a firm is right for you.

Finally, keep a calendar to stay on top of deadlines. There have been too many times where I’ve told myself “I’ll do it later”, only to find out that the deadline has passed. Additionally, some firms have rolling deadlines which means you risk applying after all the spots have been filled.”

What have you learnt from going through the process?

“I hesitated before reaching out to trainees I didn’t know on LinkedIn, but I quickly realised they’re really approachable and understand the process because they were in my shoes once too.

Almost everyone I contacted responded and they were generous with their time, which made a big difference in how confident I felt throughout the application journey.”

Tell us about the future. What’s next?

“I’ve recently left my job as a paralegal and I’ll soon be starting a new position as a Junior Writer and Editor.

I’ll be writing until I start my LLM SQE course at the University of Law in 2026 and I’ll then join Clifford Chance as a trainee the year after. I’m excited to meet my cohort of trainees and move down to London.”