Kalen Harrald · ECS ScholarA place on Clifford Chance SPARK 2026
Kalen Harrald, an ECS Scholar and law student at Queen Mary University of London, secured a place on Clifford Chance’s SPARK 2026 programme. He built his applications on two ECS frameworks: STAR-3® and PEAL-X®.
Outcome
Place on Clifford Chance SPARK 2026
University
Queen Mary University of London
ECS relationship
ECS Scholar
SPARK is a Clifford Chance early-careers programme, not a training contract. His SPARK place was secured before his ECS Scholarship began.
How he did it
How did Kalen prepare for Clifford Chance SPARK?
In his own account, two ECS frameworks did two specific jobs in his applications.
STAR-3®
His use: “for work experiences”
ECS’s framework for competency answers. It turns an experience into evidence a recruiter can assess, rather than a description of what happened.
Invited to the Clifford Chance SPARK 2026 assessment centre. On 12 March he writes to Hassan Akram about the frameworks.
April 2026
Clifford Chance confirms his place on SPARK.
Afterwards
Selected as an ECS Scholar, continuing his development with ECS.
The result is his. ECS’s part was the method he chose to use.
In Kalen’s own words
“It has been so helpful using your content in applications especially your frameworks STAR-3 for work experiences, and PEAL-X for the 'Why CC?' question!”
Documentary evidence
What do the documents show?
The firm’s emails and Kalen’s messages, in the order they arrived. Originals are held on file. Select any document to read it at full size.
Outcomes vary. Past results do not guarantee future results. Some clients are anonymised. Each outcome cited is recorded in ECS's evidence register. A documented outcome shows what the candidate achieved and how they worked with ECS; it does not isolate ECS's contribution from the candidate's own ability and effort.
