Vacation Scheme Review

A typical day would entail a few talks in the morning (including one from the managing partner!) before shadowing the lawyer that you were assigned to in the afternoon.
There were also many social events that were brilliantly organised and gave you a great opportunity to get to know the other people in your cohort, who you will hopefully be working alongside in a few years.

Especially as a non-law student, it was very useful to learn about the intricacies of the various practice areas. Aside from the talks, the lawyers at A&O were more than willing to meet you for a coffee during the day and explain a bit about what they do. Although I was sat in pensions, my ‘buddy’ organised coffee meetings with people across the firm in practice areas I was interested in.

The shadowing was absolutely brilliant as it gave you the opportunity to receive assessment on genuine work relating to an ongoing case, giving you a great taste of what life as a lawyer is like.
The talks were highly informative and covered important topics such as the work of the firm and its various practice areas, insight into current affairs and how they relate to law, ESG and DE&I, and self-growth.

The culture and atmosphere is, in my opinion, what sets A&O apart from other firms. There is a noticeable friendliness about the firm and everyone you encounter is so willing to drop what they’re doing and assist you in any way.
Every single person we were introduced to, from the managing partner to the ‘buddy’ we were assigned, made us feel incredibly welcome from the start.

I had an absolutely fantastic time! Not only was it very educational and insightful, but it was also great fun. Everyone in my cohort was incredibly friendly and we all got along really well, which made the week fly by.

Yes