Interview with Emma Gladwin, the Warwick Law Society President

Emma Gladwin is a third-year Law student from Essex, a training contract holder with Clifford Chance, and Warwick Law Society’s President. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Emma for a couple of hours to discuss her legal journey thus far and what we can expect from Warwick Law Society next term.

Emma told me she first began considering a legal career in Year 12. Undecided on what degree she wanted to pursue, her mum mentioned Clifford Chance, a leading law firm. Piquing her interest, Emma began to research other commercial law firms and discovered the ‘Magic Circle’.

Through this research, Emma then discovered the Clifford Chance ACCESS scheme. “I remember marking the application date on my calendar and it literally changed my life,” she recalled. In Year 12, Emma completed the Watson Glaser test, filled out the application form, and found out she was one of the lucky applicants to be successfully admitted onto the scheme. It was at this moment Emma decided to study Law at university.

Emma explained that ACCESS was a two-year program in which Clifford Chance invested in you and your education including 10 weeks of A-Level tutoring. The scheme participated in the SMBP (Social Mobility Business Partnership) where businesses came together to provide work experience placements. This included securing one-day placements at institutions like the BBC and Arsenal football club, gaining exposure to a multitude of sectors.

With this support, Emma went on to achieve four A* at A-Level, securing her place at the University of Warwick. When starting her degree, Emma felt insecure, describing her writing style as “basic” compared to her peers whom she believed wrote more eloquently. If anything, Emma felt this gave her an advantage as lawyers prefer written clarity and with time, she gained more confidence in her writing ability - averaging a first-class degree in both her first and second years. 

From speaking with Emma, I learned the importance of studying smarter, not harder, and having interests outside of the law. Emma is a keen member of the women’s netball club which is an opportunity to gain a well-deserved rest from studying and some downtime. Emma said she also loves spending time with her friends and family as well as her dogs.

Through ACCESS, Emma went on to secure a SPARK internship after an intense and stressful application process. During her internship, Emma spent a week shadowing the Energy and Infrastructure group by herself which was incredibly daunting. “I was so tired and stressed. I had to wake up early to commute and always had to be on my a-game and best behaviour. The whole time, I was questioning: am I speaking too much, am I asking good enough questions?” Despite these doubts, she shared, “Everyone at the firm was so nice. I was chatting away with a senior associate, an associate and a trainee and I gained so much valuable experience through work shadowing.” Emma then shared some regrets from her internship, “I wish I had put myself out there more. Often you don’t know what kind of work you want to do until you get started and I wish I pushed myself to be more involved with the different practice groups within the firm.”

Emma’s SPARK internship culminated in an interview for a training contract before her second year commenced - an impressive feat. Emma described the almost three hours at the assessment centre as the “most scary day of my life.” She added: “I remember getting off the train and nothing will compare to pulling up to this huge skyscraper. This day was two years in the making. I felt extremely nervous, but my nerves eased once I began the case study. I knew I had got this.” Emma was successful in her interview and will begin her career with Clifford Chance upon graduation and completion of the SQE.

Emma also participated in Clifford Chance’s pioneering internship, LIFT (Learning Internships for Future Trainees). This programme provides future trainees with first-hand business experience and the opportunity to develop applicable non-legal skills. Emma completed a seven-week internship, which was extended from four weeks at her request. “I felt so excited to be actually working with the firm whilst earning. I worked within employer branding which was a fascinating insight into how different employers present themselves and encourage aspiring lawyers to work for them.” Emma also praised the layout of the Clifford Chance space for business professionals which was large and open planned allowing for collaboration and a harmonious working environment.

I then asked Emma to share her advice and tips for internship applications. She said: “When applying for internships, a lot of it is out of your control and ultimately comes down to luck. The most important thing though, is to be specific. If you can’t remove the firm's name from your application, then it is not specific enough. Name drop people you have connected with and mention any experiences you have had with the firm, be it open days or networking events on campus. This is the same for writing about your own personal achievements. If you can replace your name with someone else’s, then it’s not specific enough. Regarding the HireVue aspect, this sounds really silly but remember to smile. Firms will watch hundreds, if not thousands of HireVues, and by smiling and coming across as a nice person, it really sets you apart.”

When asked how to get the most out of your internship, she replied: “Be inquisitive and do your research before you start. I know there’s no such thing as a silly question but once you get to an internship there could be. Know enough to prove your interest and that you are worthy of being there.” Emma elaborated: “Try and figure out answers by yourself first but don’t be afraid to ask someone. There are lot of things you won’t know, and they won’t know too. Law is constantly changing and adapting, it is impossible to know everything.” She shared that the one piece of advice she wished she had known earlier is to “trust the process”. Setbacks are inevitable and it’s about how you deal with and overcome the challenges you face.

I asked if Emma had faced many setbacks in her legal journey and with a smile, she said “Loads”. Emma faced disappointment with her LNAT score and was rejected from every LNAT university she applied to. Emma said: “I felt this defined my self-worth given it is called a legal aptitude test.” She also suffered a set back in sixth form following a rejection from an A&O apprenticeship. When asked how these rejections made her feel, Emma said “Scared.” She then reaffirmed how revolutionary the ACCESS scheme was - it only takes one person to say yes.

Emma spoke passionately about social mobility and the difficulties she has faced as a state school student. She recalls that career aspirations among her peers were often limited, with little support formally available to deviate from these paths. Whilst she has proven one can depart from preconceived career barriers, Emma explained that her upbringing had a particular silver lining: her supportive Mum. Notably, she also recounted that taking on part-time work alongside her GCSEs and A-Levels was formative in rounding her character.

Emma told me she feels a lot of her success has come down to luck. “I feel like one of the lucky ones. At times it has felt like my training contract is just a handout because I was on ACCESS. I have to remind myself that I am good enough.”

Since the age of 16, Emma’s journey has been inextricably connected with Clifford Chance. I wondered if she ever considered applying to and working at a different firm. Emma said: “I completed a spring week at Slaughter and May, but I felt I was never going to fit in anywhere better than Clifford Chance. They had done so much for me. Am I going to get any better than this? Definitely not.” Clifford Chance will be lucky to have an employee as dedicated and committed to the firm as Emma and I wish her every success with her training contract.

Looking ahead to next term, Emma gave me a sneak preview of what we can expect from Law Society. She said she aims to place a greater emphasis on the social side, and she hopes for the Law Society to feel more like a community. She told me to also keep a lookout for announcements related to the Law Ball and the Law Summit which are sure to be highlights of the year. Emma explained that Warwick Law Society is the best society on campus because it “offers the most career opportunities, boosts applications, improves CVs, and there is so much to get involved with both academically and socially.”

Finally, I concluded the interview with some quick-fire questions:

1.     What is your favourite legal-based film/TV show? Legally Blonde 
2.     Who is your favourite fictional lawyer? Elle Woods
3.     Are Jaffa cakes a cake or a biscuit? Biscuit
4.     Do you have a party trick? I’m usually the first to go on Karaoke 
5.     When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? I know it’s not a very feminist answer, but I wanted to be a mum
6.     Cats or dogs? Dogs
7.     If you could be part of one moment in history, what would it be? The 1530s, I want to see what Henry VIII looked like
8.     Does pineapple belong on pizza? Absolutely!
9.     Are you a morning or evening person? Evening
10.  Who is your favourite artist? Currently, it is Sabrina Carpenter

By Odette Dyer