Winter Vacation Scheme Student Review

Item: Winter Vacation Scheme Student at A&O Shearman
Rating: 5
Author: Anonymous

at A&O Shearman

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Commercial Law

London

Review Submitted: December 2025

Overall Rating

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!

5/5 - Overview of Experience

5/5 - Skills Development

5/5 - Company Culture

5/5 - Overall Experience

5/5 - Recommendations and Advice

Overview of Experience

Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.

The Vacation Scheme was a combination of formal sessions on different practice groups and the role of a commercial solicitor, as well as spending time in the department where I was sat. In my department, I was assigned a range of tasks, including legal and commercial research, drafting emails and client notes, as well as reviewing documents. Overall, the experience was very useful for giving a real taste of life as a commercial solicitor and I believe that there was a good balance between formal sessions and time spent in the department.

How would you rate the structure of the insight

5/5

What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?

It was a very useful experience and I was left with a much clearer idea about the work of the firm and, specifically, the role of a trainee solicitor.

Please rate how insightful you found the insight

5/5

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

The scheme helped me develop my time-management skills, as I was allocated a number of tasks at the same time and so had to prioritise effectively. It also helped me develop my analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

How would you rate the training provided during your experience?

5/5

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?

5/5

Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development

5/5

Company Culture

What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?

The culture was extremely friendly, even surprisingly so considering the size of the firm. Everyone was lovely and kind, and they were always there to answer my questions.

How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?

5/5

Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?

5/5

How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight

5/5

How would you rate the networking opportunities?

5/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy the insight?

I absolutely loved the vacation scheme, I think it was a great experience.

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 paid

Recommendations and Advice

Would you recommend A&O Shearman to a friend?

Yes

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to A&O Shearman

Spend time carefully preparing your application to make sure that it’s the best it can be. Look at the A&O Shearman Early Careers Website- there are many application tips there. Make sure to look at their agility framework when writing your application and to tailor your responses to show the competencies they are looking for.