Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organizations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

The Role

A vacation scheme is the perfect way to learn about working at Clifford Chance and meet our people.

Joining our vacation scheme also means you will be considered for a Training Contract at the firm. We recruit students that we believe have the potential and ambition to join us once their degrees are completed.

The vacation scheme allows you to follow the life of a lawyer at Clifford Chance closely - you will sit in two different practice areas, working with our lawyers on real, live client projects. You will be treated as a part of our team and given opportunities to demonstrate your ability.

To ensure you get the most from your scheme we will assign you a supervisor, an experienced lawyer who will help you settle in and answer any questions you have.

Across the four-week scheme we will also host training sessions from professionals across the firm to give you a real insight into how our firm works. There will also be plenty of opportunities for you to connect with our people.

A salary will be paid to you for the month-long scheme.

In 2025, our Summer Vacation Scheme will be running across the following dates:

Dates: 22 July – 15 August

Your experience

You will need to exhibit ambition, drive and commitment as well as strong interpersonal skills and commerciality. In addition to these attributes, we ask that applicants meet the following requirements:

1. A consistently strong academic record.

*As a part of your application, please submit an up-to-date academic transcript, curriculum vitae and cover letter.

2. Permission to work in Japan

3. Japanese language abilities are required (you will be required to specify your Japanese proficiency level in your application)

Please note that we will be reviewing applications and inviting candidates after the application deadline.

To find out more about what it is like to work in Clifford Chance in Asia Pacific, please visit this link.

Applications deadline

10 January 2025 at 23:59 JST

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here