Clifford Chance Training Contract Application Model Answers

1 Please describe an achievement of importance to you. (Please limit your answer to no more than 200 words)*

Recently, I established a new company in the entertainment industry which is providing cutting-edge solutions to help businesses restructure their operations in order to increase their profitability. This is my greatest achievement because I managed to successfully put my commercial knowledge and skills acquired during my employment and studies to practice. This achievement is very important to me because it has made me more commercially astute and strengthened my leadership skills as I was required to deal with businesses of many types to understand their commercial requirements and the markets in which they operate in order to devise bespoke solutions. The experience of running this business has developed my lateral thinking and managerial skills as I was thrown at the deep end and had to make important business decisions in a quick-paced and highly competitive environment which proved to be highly rewarding and stimulating. At the same time, this achievement is important to me because I have pioneered a business model which is helping to re-shape the entertainment industry and introduce people to new ideas.

2 Please list the activities outside of academic study that you have been involved in during the last three years, detailing your contribution. Please also give details of any positions of responsibility you may have held during this time. (Please limit your answer to no more than 300 words)*

I am currently helping to run a business in the entertainment industry. I am helping to make important strategic decisions in order to grow the business and managing branches of the business in [area] and [area]. I am a representative of a company specialising in innovative payment systems in the UK (prepaid cards and e-wallets) and liaising with businesses in emerging markets to devise bespoke financial models that would help businesses to meet their commercial objectives. Outside the office hours, I teach people [sport] at the [law firm] gym. During my spare time, I help people in my local community with their legal matters by drafting letters to various bodies and organisations and discussing their individual requirements with them. At university, I pioneered the University of [university] Amateur [sport] Club for the first time in fifty years and was the president of the society. In my third year of university, I helped to develop an innovative initiative to reduce the university’s carbon footprint by switching off all unused desktops during vacation breaks. I was a member of the Student-Staff Liaison Committee and helped to make improvements to the law school. At university, I enjoyed playing [sport] on the weekends and was selected to represent [university] University in the national [sport] championships. I was the sports executive at the [language] Speaking Society and organised sporting events such as five-a-side football tournaments and [sport] sessions.

4 Tell us why you think your characteristics, qualities, experience and ambitions make you a strong candidate to contribute to Clifford Chance? You may find it useful to read the Firm's Annual Review before answering this question.  (Please limit your answer to no more than 300 words)*

I possess strong teamwork, communication and leadership skills which will enable me to operate in diverse teams across multiple jurisdictions and contribute my perspectives to complex problems facing businesses globally as well as build professional relationships. With the ever-increasing globalisation of commerce, I will contribute to Clifford Chance by sharing my commercial knowledge and thinking creatively when working on challenging commercial assignments and operating in difficult markets. In effect, this will add value to all my work and help Clifford Chance to consolidate its market share globally. By working in diverse teams, I will also build relationships with a range of professionals which will allow me to appreciate different perspectives and provide seamless solutions to clients.

I am entrepreneurial, enthusiastic and commercially aware which makes me suited to working in an ever-more complex regulatory environment to help businesses to mitigate legal, financial, business and regulatory risks and identify new opportunities, enter new markets and develop new ways of working. I am currently a representative of a leading UK company specialising in the prepaid card and e-wallet market. I am closely involved with [language] businesses operating in various sectors in matching their requirements to the prepaid card financial model. This experience has bolstered my sectoral expertise and enhanced my understanding of client requirements. This will help me to solve problems with a commercial perspective and devise innovative solutions to achieve optimal results for clients whilst at Clifford Chance.

I believe that I can contribute to Clifford Chance through my linguistic abilities and knowledge of the emerging markets gained during employment which will allow me to produce innovative results to problems with no clear-cut solutions. I believe that I can help Clifford Chance to consolidate its presence in the emerging markets.

5 Which area of law is of particular interest to you and why? (Please limit your answer to no more than 150 words)*

I am particularly interested in dispute resolution because this area is becoming increasingly popular with clients from the emerging markets who choose to resolve their disputes under the English law. This will in turn present me with exposure to international markets and unique problems which will make for an exciting environment. This area will provide me with a chance to apply my linguistic skills to add value to my cases. Dispute resolution is of interest to me because it is very dynamic and will present me with a hands-on experience as I will be required to deal with many different tasks in a deadline-driven environment which will make for an intellectually stimulating environment.