First Year Programme Intern Review
at A&O Shearman
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Legal/Law
London
Review Submitted: May 2025
Overall Rating
4.5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
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Overview of Experience
4.5/5
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Skills Development
4.3/5
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Company Culture
5/5
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Overall Experience
4/5
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Recommendations and Advice
Overview of Experience
Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.
Candidates on the First Year Programme spend two days in Spring at the London office. The daily itinerary consisted mainly of talks from lawyers of varying seniority in a variety of different departments. Aside from this, we were assigned a trainee buddy and spent lunch on the first day with them, we also had a couple of more interactive group sessions on our table carrying out due diligence and reviewing documents looking for legal risk. There was also a social activity at the end of day one which involved going to a bar which had virtual clay pigeon shooting.
What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?
It was immensely useful to find out more about the firm and the breadth of different roles. The differences in the day to day activities carried out by lawyers in different departments was far greater than I imagined, and it was useful to find out how specialising in different areas and roles can shape your career. It also gave me a valuable insight to begin to think about what type of lawyer I would like to be and is suited to my personality and skillset.
Please rate how insightful you found the insight
5/5
How would you rate the structure of the insight
4/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
I gained a lot of knowledge and insight into the legal profession and the various department areas, and practiced some skills that would be useful as a trainee including doing due diligence on documents. Additionally, I expanded my network talking to others in my cohort as well as lawyers at the firm.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
4/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around personal or professional skills during the experience?
4/5
Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development
5/5
Company Culture
How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight
3/5
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
I have nothing but good things to say about the culture. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left everybody was incredibly welcoming, warm, and respectful. Additionally, it was evident from the talks and speaker sessions they put on that they genuinely value and place an importance on kindness and creating a corporate culture in which everybody feels comfortable.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the networking opportunities?
5/5
Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
It was the only insight I have been to so I don't have much to compare it with but I genuinely enjoyed the programme. There were a lot of breaks and opportunities to socialise with the cohort which was really enjoyable and they had a lot of variety in the sessions and speakers to keep it interesting. The social activity on the first day was also thoroughly enjoyable and it was nice to socialise with the others in a more formal setting.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on the insight
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was reimbursed expenses
Recommendations and Advice
Please rate the future employment prospects at A&O Shearman
4/5
Would you recommend A&O Shearman to a friend?
Yes
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to A&O Shearman
Make sure you are very aware of the way the legal landscape is changing with regard to technology and AI as being forerunners in this is something the firm really emphasised and are keen on. As well as this, make sure that despite any nerves you are making a real effort to be warm and personable in your interview as I believe they are looking for genuinely kind people who can contribute positively to the culture at the firm.
