Kent Law student Charly Pennington has won a two-week vacation scheme with Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance.

Charly, who graduates with an LLB Law degree from Kent Law School in July, was one of 20 students across the UK to secure the prestigious prize in the firm’s Intelligent Aid competition.

Now in its fifth year, the annual competition requires students to write an essay on a topical question, with 40 shortlisted entrants being put forward to a two-day final in London.

This year, students were asked to write an essay about the importance of the Rule of Law to a developed economy.

Charly said:

‘We had to write it in 500 words and were encouraged to be creative with how we presented it.

‘I finally settled on it being written as a text message conversation between a lawyer and a client.

‘It definitely paid off though because when I got to the finals, three of the partners that I met remembered my entry better than most.’

Clifford Chance seek to find students who can demonstrate their intelligence, their ability to structure a convincing argument, and their understanding of the practical application of the law.

Later this summer Charly will spend two weeks at Clifford Chance’s offices in Canary Wharf, with one week in Mergers and Acquisitions and the second week in Corporate Finance. She will also sit the firm’s assessment centre tests and be invited to go through the interview process for a 2017 Training Contract.