Work experience
Smart Start Programme
Smart Start is a unique work experience scheme designed to provide students from lower socio-economic backgrounds everything they need to kickstart a legal career.
Smart Start
Build your future
What you’ll gain
Every year, we offer high-quality work experience, skills training and mentoring for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, as part of our flagship social mobility programme, Smart Start. For those students going to university, this programme provides the opportunity to apply for both financial and employability support. Since it’s launch in 2009, it has supported and inspired 1,800 students.
Work experience
Smart Start Week is held at the A&O Shearman London office in July and is open to Year 12 or equivalent students. Over the course of five days, you’ll take part in workshops and tackle challenges. Alternatively, in year 12 you can join us through Smart Start Applications, the virtual work-related learning programme made up of eight live webinars, including sessions on university and apprenticeship applications and how to develop your employability skills.
Next, if you meet upReach’s eligibility criteria , you can apply for Smarter Futures, which runs throughout year 13. This programme offers you a dedicated A&O Shearman mentor, online tutoring sessions with Peppo Tutors and the opportunity to apply for our university bursary programme, plus three years of careers and employability support.
Growth and development
Throughout this programme, we strive to support you with exceptional professional and personal development – providing training, mentoring and practical experience, so you can learn and grow at your highest level.
Academic qualifications
We’re able to welcome year 12 students for Smart Start Week and Smart Applications, and year 13 students for Smarter Futures.
Personal skills
Ambition, curiosity, drive
Application window
January/February 2025
Helpful resources
Setting yourself up for success
How to use AI responsibly in the application process
Programme Overview
Our social mobility programme Smart Start is run in partnership with Causeway Education.
There are three elements to Smart Start:
- Smart Start Week, our in-person work experience for year 12 students or equivalent
- Smart Applications, our online programme for year 12 or equivalent students
- Smarter Futures, our mentoring programme for year 13 or equivalent students who’ve completed Smart Start Week
What we look for
This programme gives you the opportunities you need to expand your skills and experience what life here is really like. It’s the chance for you to start your journey early and develop your legal expertise.
Eligibility
You’ll need to:
- Have always attended a state-funded or non-fee paying school
- Be a UK national or EU national with settled status in the UK by the time they apply for university.
You’ll also need to meet at least one of the following additional criteria:
- Come from a household where no parent or guardian has attended university
- Receive, or have previously received free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance or a 16 to 19 Bursary Fund
- Be or have been in local authority care
- Be or have been a full-time or part-time young carer
- Come to the UK as a refugee or asylum seeker
- Come from a household where a parent or carer has served in the regular armed forces
- Be attending a school or college with:
- below average A level or Scottish Highers points score, and/or
- a low rate of progression to higher education.
Students who meet more than one additional criteria are more likely to receive a place on either programme.
Skills to succeed
Below are the essential skills needed to thrive on this programme. From making meaningful contributions to our team and clients, to facing legal challenges, these skills will help you excel with us.
Ambition
You’re determined to achieve a first-class legal career and tackle challenges along the way.
Curiosity
You want to find out more about the firm, our culture, the clients we work with and the sectors we operate in.
Drive
You’re prepared to tackle every challenge and overcome obstacles to achieve your goals.
Then & Now
Our A&O Shearman lawyers all started from somewhere. From all kinds of backgrounds. Through every stage of their life, from personal to professional and the challenges along the way, our lawyers look back on the journeys that got them where they are today.
Ghazi
Growing up in Jordan with a genetic condition, Ghazi learned to live life despite limitations. With the grades, curiosity and interest, there was nothing to lose and everything to gain. His story shows anything is possible.
Jennifer
Jennifer has experienced a world, career and life that she never thought would be in her reach. Hear how a summer school for low-income backgrounds changed Jennifer’s perspective on what she could achieve.
Mitch
Born in Nigeria, Mitch believes nothing is impossible. Now a partner at A&O Shearman and mum of three, she has surrounded herself with the right people and has had support from her family every step of the way.
Application Process
The Smart Start Week and Smart Applications programmes open in January/February each year.
You need to first register for, and attend, an in-person or virtual Smart Choices session in March 2024. There, you’ll learn about our two programmes and how to apply. More details can be found on this page.
You can choose to apply for either programme or both. Places are allocated on a points-based system, depending on how many of the criteria the students meet.
If you have a place for Smart Start Week, you’ll need to attend a launch day at our London office in May or June. There, you’ll meet fellow participants and hear more about the benefits of the programme. You’ll also hear from our volunteers and take part in activities such as a mock interview.
Culture
Working here
We’re a firm investing in our people to excel in their legal careers while building a culture that harnesses our differences. Where you’re valued for who you are, as much as you’re valued for what you do.
We recruit the best and ask for the best of you, but that doesn’t come without support, mentorship, rewards and opportunities you couldn't find anywhere else.
If you’re looking for a first-class legal career, join us. And together we can excel.
What we do
