Clifford Chance US LLP

31 West 52nd St.
New York, NY 10019

Phone number: (212) 878-8000

Visit Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Summer Program: Learn More

Overview

Introduction

As a global force, it’s no surprise Clifford Chance seeks candidates with international aspirations and foreign language skills. This Magic Circle firm offers a welcoming culture and interesting work, and it genuinely supports pro bono and diversity. Today, Clifford Chance has 32 offices spanning key markets across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with a particularly strong reputation in the financial sector. The firm offers substantive experience in a wide array of practice...

Firm Stats

Total No. Attorneys (2021)

2.5K - 3K

No. of Partners Named (2021)

Featured Rankings

Vault Law 100

No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)

No. of Summer Associates (2021)

41 total (36 2Ls; 5 1Ls; 1 SEO)

Base Salary

All offices

Vault Verdict

In addition to intelligence and enthusiasm, Clifford Chance seeks associates with an interest in international work—and foreign language skills are a plus. Associates describe the firm as “warm and welcoming” throughout the staff, associate, and partner ranks. Partners value associates and are generous with feedback—junior associates receive quarterly reviews before moving to an annual schedule as fourth years. Town halls and associate meetings provide insight into decision-making, and associates consider the firm to be relatively transparent. While some long hours come with the territory, associates feel the workload is reasonable and report a high degree of flexibility. Associates are very pleased with compensation, which is market, lockstep, and has recently included market-mat...

Firm's Response

A law firm’s culture is defined in many ways: geographic reach, substantive strengths, client focus, inclusion, and core values. Candidates carefully weigh these qualities throughout the recruitment process, but once our associates arrive and become a member of the team, a key factor in their development is mentorship. Our partners and sen...

About the Firm

With 2,500 lawyers across more than 30 offices around the globe, Clifford Chance is a legal behemoth. The firm boasts a growing practice in the U.S. and a global reputation that shines.

Brits and Yanks

The modern Clifford Chance was created in 1987 when giant U.K. firms Coward Chance and Clifford Turner merged, creating an entity The Times of London called “the country’s first mega law firm.” Indeed, Clifford Chance was twice as large as the firm that had previously been the U.K.’s largest: Linklaters & Paines. Over the years, Clifford Chance has opened offices and built client lists around the world, adopting a cross-border focus well before such an outlook became commonplace. At the same time, the firm grew from hundreds of attorn...

2022 Vault Rankings

#44

Vault Law 100

#2

Best Summer Programs for Attorney Interactions

#3

Best Law Firms to Work For

Associate Reviews

“CC has a very warm and welcoming culture. Everyone is encouraged to speak their mind; mentorship begins early on, both formally and informally; and the office feels like a real team.”
“We have [an] associates lounge open 24/7 to all associates throughout the week. We have a social event every month where all partners and associates are invited and socialize together.”
“Given the unique circumstances posed by COVID-19, things are much different than when I summered at the firm. Even so, everyone makes an effort to be in touch regularly and to check in with me to be sure that I'm not feeling overwhelmed or underworked. We have a true cooperation with staff at all levels—from janitorial staff to secretarial staff. It's a genuinely congenial and convivial atmosphere, and it's a pleasure to work with every member of our team.”
“Colleagues at my firm are some of my best friends. We frequently socialize outside of work.”

Why Work Here

Clifford Chance led the way for international firms when it started practicing US law in the 1990s. Now a thriving, full-service domestic Firm, Clifford Chance US operates from offices in New York and Washington, DC, and we were the first international firm to open an office in Brazil more than 20 years ago. The US Firm's 300 lawyers have a deep understanding of US, Latin American and global markets, and they routinely advise clients on high-profile matters across our transactional and litigation practices.

We offer clients the benefit of seamless access to Clifford Chance's elite global network spanning 32 offices in 22 countries. Collaboration is fundamental to our lockstep culture, and no firm is better placed to advise leading businesses on their complex domestic and cross-border matters.

For our candidates, we offer the opportunity to practice US law at the top level and to work on challenging matters in a supportive team-based environment, where the collective goal is to help our clients – elite US and multinational companies – succeed in a global marketplace.

Diversity at Clifford Chance US LLP

"At Clifford Chance, we are committed to enhancing diversity at the Firm and to fostering a supportive work environment in which all employees - regardless of racial or ethnic background, sexual orientation or gender - can develop to their fullest potential and contribute their best work to the success of the Firm and its clients. The Firm's success is built on the unique skills, perspectives, experience and values of our lawyers and staff. It is the Firm's policy to provide equal opportunity and equal terms and conditions of employment to..."

Read the Diversity Report

Getting Hired Here

“The firm has pulled from a wide variety of schools. The hiring process was fair and painless. Interviewers were kind and real. I believe the firm is looking for intelligent and well-rounded individuals.”
“[The] firm looks at the candidate's attitude and willingness to work hard. Furthermore, if a candidate is interested in cross-border, multi-jurisdictional, international legal work, such interests would align with the work that the firm does.”
“International work experience and foreign languages are extremely important, particularly in our DC office.”
“I'm very happy that CC isn't a firm that looks only to certain schools with respect to hiring. The summer class isn't just a collection of T14 or T25 law students, and I think we are better for that since it allows for a diverse set of perspectives and life experiences to be brought to our practices. In my view, the single most important trait for a prospective CC associate to have is dynamism. When you join, it's likely you won't know exactly what's going on or what is expected of you (especially if you join a specialized practice group), but if you demonstrate genuine interest, curiosity, and willingness to learn, you'll be perfectly positioned to start off on the right foot.”