FAQS

Our academic requirements are AAB (136 UCAS points) or equivalent at A-Level and on track for/achieved a 2:1 undergraduate degree. We also require 7 GCSEs at grade 6 or above (including Maths and English). We do take into account mitigating circumstances, including those relating to a disability, which may have affected your grades either at school or university and there is a space on the application form to include these.

You do not need to study law to apply; we accept applications from all degree disciplines.

To apply for A&O Shearman’s First Year programme, you must complete an online application form. Successful candidates will be invited to complete a short video interview. 

We’re looking for students who have shown initiative by getting involved in a variety of things at school and so far at university, so we are keen to find out about your extra-curricular activities.

You should demonstrate a genuine interest in finding out more about Commercial law as a potential career path, and explain why you are applying for this opportunity with A&O Shearman specifically. We’re looking for a strong academic performance to date, but no previous legal work experience is required.

During the scheme participants will get the opportunity to build their network at A&O Shearman and develop the skills we are looking for in future trainees. 

There is also the chance to be fast-tracked to interview for a vacation scheme following completion of the scheme.

Our academic requirements are AAB (136 UCAS points) or equivalent at A-Level and on track for/achieved a 2:1 undergraduate degree. We also require 7 GCSEs at grade 6 or above (including Maths and English). We do take into account mitigating circumstances, including those relating to a disability, which may have affected your grades either at school or university and there is a space on the application form to include these.

No, unfortunately not. Our vacation schemes are for those in their penultimate year of study, final year or those who have already graduated. However, you can apply to our First Year programme instead.

We are looking for applicants to include work experience that is both legal and non-legal. What's important is that you think about the skills you developed during those experiences and the knowledge you gained.

In addition to formalised work experience, please include events, open days, society memberships and anything you think would add value to your application and show your drive and commitment for a legal career. 

We pay our vacation scheme students £500 per week. 

You will be required to submit an application which details your work and education history.

You will then be sent an email which will contain a link to complete an interactive assessment. The assessment will include situational questions, verbal and numerical reasoning items, and two short motivation questions to complete via video. Our interactive assessment is untimed and should take around 45 - 60 minutes. The interactive assessment is designed to provide a realistic preview of what you may experience as a trainee at A&O Shearman, as well as give us an insight into your motivations. You will need to complete your application and interactive assessment ahead of the deadline.

You have all the time in the world to prepare for your video interviews, but remember you'll only have 2 minutes to respond to each answer. To ensure your video response captures your genuine motivation and showcases your communication skills, we would recommend you don't rely on a full script and try to provide a natural response. Some tips we would recommend to help you with your video response -

• Take the time to familiarise yourself with the question.
• Practice your response without memorising it.
• Rely on key bullet points instead of using a script.
• You may also find it helpful to record a practice video on your mobile to self-evaluate before you submit your response and
• Remember to relax and be yourself - your authenticity is as important as the content of your answer.

Please note, given the unlimited preparation time, opportunities to reset or resubmit your responses are not available.

If your application is successful, the next stage will be an Assessment Day comprising of two one-on-one interviews and one written assignment. One case study interview with a Partner and a scenario based interview with HR or a Senior Associate. This interview is based on a commercial case study, where you’ll have time to work through a brief and prepare a short presentation to deliver to your interviewer. This will be followed by a discussion on the key points from the case study.

Following your case study interview, you will have time to complete a short written exercise.

In the second interview, you will be asked a series of questions based on scenarios you may encounter as a trainee. Both interviews are one hour in duration. Prior to the case study interview, there will be preparation time.

Vacation scheme students will be assessed throughout the scheme to see if they are demonstrating the skills and attributes we look for. We base hiring decisions on our assessment framework and use data/feedback from both your interview and performance during the scheme to reach a decision.

Candidates can only apply for one opportunity each recruit cycle. So you will need to decide upfront if you would like to apply to the winter vacation scheme, summer vacation scheme or directly for a training contract.

All opportunities require you to submit an online application and complete the situational judgement test (SJT.) If you do not pass the SJT, you will have to wait until the next recruit cycle to reapply.

We require those who have accepted a Training Contract prior to starting law school to study the PGDL at BPP Law School. We don’t mind if you study at their London or UK regional centres or, for those studying outside of London, if you study the course in person (i.e. attend classroom teaching) or online (subject to ongoing availability of a remote/online course offering at BPP). If you have any extenuating circumstances which may affect where you can study the PGDL, we would be happy to discuss this with you.

If you are joining us in March 2024 (or before), you will study the LPC and will do so at BPP Law School in Holborn. This course is taught in person (with face-to-face teaching) and gives you the opportunity to study alongside peers joining your intake at A&O Shearman. If you have any extenuating circumstances which may affect your ability to attend the LPC in person, we would be happy to discuss this with you. 

If you are joining us from September 2024 onwards, you will train via the SQE route and will do so at BPP Law School in Holborn, alongside peers joining your intake at A&O Shearman. We have partnered with BPP to develop a bespoke SQE preparation course, which started in September 2023. Much of the course is taught in person (with face-to face teaching).   

The SQE preparation course is a 12 month course during which you will prepare for, and sit, the SQE1 and SQE2 assessments. The first 15 weeks of the course will be spent preparing for the SQE1 assessment, with the following part of the course focusing on SQE2 preparation and the delivery of our bespoke ‘Essentials for Practice’ course content, to really prepare you for life at A&O Shearman and the transition to starting your training with us. An image of the SQE preparation course learning journey/timeline is available here. If you are a non-law graduate, you will complete the PGDL before the SQE preparation course.

Further information is available here.

Yes – upon successful completion of the SQE preparation course, students will receive a Master of Laws in Legal Practice. 

Yes. When you accept our offer of a Training Contract, we will provide financial support for your law school studies.

We recruit approximately 80 trainees a year and have two intakes, one in March and another in September. You will therefore join a cohort of approximately 40 trainees, providing you with a strong support network of peers from day one. In your department, you will work with a smaller number of trainees, giving you the opportunity to take on real responsibility, with appropriate support from your trainer and team. 

We try and accommodate changes in start dates where possible. It is easier to be flexible the earlier you ask, so talk to the Early Careers Recruitment team at offer stage if you think you might be interested in changing your intake date.

During the Training Contract, you will submit your seat preferences (via an app - every six months), giving you the opportunity to express preferences for a wide variety of teams. You will attend seat planning talks, with partners and associates across our practice groups, to help inform your thinking and discuss your areas of interest. You also have access to our dedicated HR for Trainees team, who you can contact to discuss your seat planning queries. 

All trainees are able to apply for an international secondment during their Training Contract; this is usually undertaken during your final six months.

We have a number of client secondments available for trainees. We also offer internal secondments with an opportunity to work with our Pro Bono and Advanced Delivery teams, for example.  

We aim to retain all our trainees on qualification. We recruit and train people that we believe will make a valuable contribution to our firm and invest a lot of time and money in them. Our retention rate is on average between 80 – 90%.

You will be required to submit an online application which details your work and education history.

You will then be sent an email which will contain a link to complete an interactive assessment. The assessment will include situational questions, verbal and numerical reasoning items, and two short motivation questions to complete via video. Our interactive assessment is untimed and should take around 45 - 60 minutes. The interactive assessment is designed to provide a realistic preview of what you may experience as a trainee at A&O Shearman, as well as give us an insight into your motivations. You will need to complete your application and interactive assessment ahead of the deadline.

You have all the time in the world to prepare for your video interviews, but remember you'll only have 2 minutes to respond to each answer. To ensure your video response captures your genuine motivation and showcases your communication skills, we would recommend you don't rely on a full script and try to provide a natural response. Some tips we would recommend to help you with your video response -

• Take the time to familiarise yourself with the question.
• Practice your response without memorising it.
• Rely on key bullet points instead of using a script.
• You may also find it helpful to record a practice video on your mobile to self-evaluate before you submit your response and
• Remember to relax and be yourself - your authenticity is as important as the content of your answer.

Please note, given the unlimited preparation time, opportunities to reset or resubmit your responses are not available.

The SQE is a new compulsory (two-part) assessment introduced by the SRA which took effect in September 2021 and ultimately replaces the current route to qualification as a solicitor of England and Wales. This doesn’t mean that from 1 September 2021 everyone will sit the SQE as there are transitional arrangements in place which, in certain circumstances, permit individuals to qualify via the LPC route after September 2021 (more on this below). 

SQE1 is a multiple choice assessment, which tests functioning legal knowledge, and SQE2 tests practical legal skills and knowledge. The SRA have appointed Kaplan, an external assessment provider, to run the SQE assessments. The assessments will be set and marked by Kaplan. Further information about the SQE is on the SRA website here. Further information about the SQE assessments is available on the SQE assessment website here.

The SRA recognises that some people are already on their journey to qualification; as such, they have prepared a set of transitional provisions which explain the circumstances in which someone can still qualify under the LPC route after 1 September 2021 (when the SQE came into effect). The transitional provisions are available on the SRA website.

At A&O Shearman, we will ‘switch’ from the current route to qualification (PGDL, if applicable, followed by LPC), to the SQE route (PGDL, if applicable, followed by an SQE preparation course), in September 2024. 

As such, on the whole: 

If you join us in March 2024 (or before) you will train via the LPC route and will not sit the SQE assessments; and 

If you join us in September 2024 (or after) you will train via the SQE route and will sit the SQE assessments. Those joining us in September 2024 started the BPP SQE preparation course in September 2023. 

Please check the SQE transitional provisions (referred to above) to check your eligibility to train via the LPC or SQE route. 

The SQE also replaces the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS). Further information about the interplay between the SQE and QLTS is available here. Please note, different arrangements apply for law students we recruit from university in India; if you are joining us via this route, further information will be provided separately.

All candidates seeking to qualify via the SQE route will need to complete two years’ full-time (or equivalent) qualifying work experience. QWE will therefore replace the period of recognised training (otherwise referred to as a Training Contract). We will continue to require future trainees to complete a two-year period of training with us. 

Yes, we provide adjustments because we want you to be able to demonstrate your full potential during the recruitment process. It is advisable to inform us as soon as possible about the adjustments you may require in order to ensure that they are implemented on time.

We can provide various adjustments that will enable you to perform your best at all stages of the recruitment process.

Examples of adjustments we have made in the past include, but are not limited to, providing extra time, scheduling an interview at a specific time; and ensuring there is access.

If you have a specific question related to disability, please contact danielle.fulham@aoshearman.com who is our disability expert. All conversations will be confidential.

Yes, you should tell us as soon as possible if you require any adjustments or changes to the interview process. Failure to do so may result in adjustments not being made resulting in you not being able to demonstrate your full potential.