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Overview

Introduction

As a global force since its merger in 1987, 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. One might assume that it would be easy to get lost in such a massive enterprise, but employee relations and firm transparency are exceptional.

Firm Stats


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Total No. Attorneys (2023)

250 - 500

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No. of Partners Named (2023)

5

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Featured Rankings

Vault Law 100
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No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)

38


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No. of Summer Associates (2023)

41 total (35 2Ls; 61Ls; 1 SEO)


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Base Salary

Base Salary (2023)
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Vault Verdict

Clifford Chance may be a major player in the U.S. legal industry, but the firm retains its deep roots across the pond. A member of the U.K.’s “Magic Circle,” the firm maintains London headquarters even as it prioritizes its U.S. presence; associates love this duality as it is reflected in the firm’s culture and structure. In fact, associates attribute much of the firm’s team-oriented environment to its adherence to the British law firm model and its lack of origination credit to partners, which encourages partners to be more open and collaborative with client work. Clifford Chance also prioritizes personality and fit in its hiring, taking a very holistic approach that doesn’t fixate solely on T14 schools. The culture is friendly and social, but associates feel totally comfortable ...

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 attorneys to thousands, which e...

Associate Reviews

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  • “Everyone is extremely friendly and gets along well. We get together often for firm-sponsored events, but many of the associates often find time to hang out together outside of work events. At the same time, there is an understanding that people have lives outside of work, so there is never a lot of pressure to get together. It just happens organically because we really like each other.”
  • “The firm is incredibly tight-knit and takes building a friendly and welcoming culture very seriously; associates and partners socialize very frequently at work events and in their personal time. There isn't a week where I'm not seeing at least one of my fellow associates for a happy hour, brunch, or movie night!”
  • “In addition to the quality of work, the people are what make Clifford Chance great. Collaboration exists from top to bottom; partners, associates, and staff are all highly motivated, team-oriented individuals who all want to see the firm succeed. Firm-planned social events for both lawyers and staff are frequent (almost weekly).”
  • “The people at the firm really make it stand out. Everyone is genuinely nice to one another. Lawyers frequently socialize together, firm sponsored and otherwise. The firm does a great job of setting up events for us to attend every few weeks. In the office, people are always open to chatting, and all of the seniors are very approachable if you have questions. Partners will frequently stop to talk to you about an ongoing matter or just to say a quick hello.”

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 Houston, 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 400+ 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..."

Getting Hired Here

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  • “The firm has exacting standards for academic excellence but recruits from a wide pool of law firms, and has put effort into various diversity programs for hiring.”
  • “This is one of the firms that is open to hiring law students outside of the United States. Much value is placed on a holistic approach to hiring.”
  • “The firm values people with very diverse backgrounds. There are a number of associates who did not go straight through to law school, so there is a sense of maturity among the associates. The firm also really values personalities. People genuinely get along well and care about each other. Grades, journal experience, and other law school activities are definitely a plus, too.”

Perks & Benefits


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