Summer Vacation Scheme Student Review

The two-week vacation scheme provided an insight into life as a trainee solicitor at A&O Shearman through a combination of real legal work, training sessions and networking opportunities. On a day-to-day basis, I worked within one of the Global Financial Markets team, assisting with document review, turning comments, identifying legal and commercial issues, and preparing client-facing emails and written analyses. Alongside this, I attended presentations from different practice areas, skills workshops and commercial awareness sessions, while meeting lawyers across the firm through coffee chats and networking events. The scheme provided first-hand experience of the firm's collaborative culture, the importance of commercial judgment, and the role of trainees in supporting complex cross-border transactions.

The insight provided a comprehensive understanding of A&O Shearman's business, its global platform and the breadth of work undertaken across different practice areas. Through presentations, workshops and conversations with trainees, associates and partners, I gained an appreciation of how different teams collaborate on complex cross-border matters and how commercial considerations shape legal advice. Learning about the trainee journey and qualification process also helped me understand the variety of career paths available within the firm, from transactional and advisory work to disputes and specialist practice areas. The experience gave me a much clearer picture of both the firm's culture and the opportunities available to develop a long-term legal career.

The scheme helped me develop a wide range of skills. I strengthened my interpersonal skills by joining a new team, learning how different colleagues preferred to work and communicate, and making an active effort to build relationships with lawyers across the firm. I also developed my legal technology skills through tasks involving AI-assisted checklist preparation and precedent comparison, using tools such as Harvey and ContractMatrix while still checking the output carefully against the underlying documents.
The experience strengthened my work ethic, motivation and resilience, particularly when completing unfamiliar tasks under time pressure, responding constructively to detailed feedback and applying that feedback to later work. For example, my document-review tasks taught me to be more systematic in identifying conditions hidden within longer provisions and more precise when explaining their practical significance to the client.
I also became more curious and confident. The practice-area sessions explored subjects in considerable depth, while my work in my department introduced me to unfamiliar areas of finance and encouraged me to ask further questions and independently build my understanding. Finally, participating in affinity-network events and wider firm activities reinforced the importance of collaboration, inclusion and contributing to the wider firm community, while managing work, talks and networking strengthened my organisation and time-management skills.

The culture felt genuinely welcoming, collaborative and much less hierarchical than I had expected from a large international law firm. From my first day, people across different levels were approachable, down to earth and willing to take the time to explain their work or answer questions. Within my team, I felt comfortable asking for clarification, seeking feedback and discussing unfamiliar concepts, and I appreciated that colleagues were supportive while still encouraging me to take ownership of my work.
The general atmosphere was busy and intellectually demanding, but not intimidating. There was a strong sense that people wanted others to succeed, whether through informal conversations, coffee chats, detailed feedback or the wider support offered through affinity networks and firm events. I was also struck by how much emphasis the firm placed on inclusion and community, rather than treating these as separate from its commercial work. Overall, the scheme gave me the impression of a high-performing environment that combines ambition and technical excellence with warmth, openness and a strong team culture.

I enjoyed the insight to a very great extent. The combination of substantive legal work, practice-area sessions and opportunities to speak with people across the firm made the experience both intellectually engaging and personally rewarding. I particularly enjoyed working in the team I was allocated, where I reviewed transaction documents, compared drafting against precedents and considered issues such as guarantor accession, notices, cross-default and set-off. These tasks allowed me to see how detailed contractual analysis translates into practical advice for clients.
I also valued the opportunity to use tools such as Harvey and ContractMatrix, attend sessions on areas including disputes, corporate work and Global Financial Markets, and learn more about the firm through coffee chats and affinity-network events. Most importantly, I enjoyed becoming part of the team, building relationships with colleagues and gaining a realistic understanding of the firm’s work and culture. The experience was demanding at times, particularly when balancing unfamiliar tasks, deadlines and events, but this made it especially rewarding and reinforced my enthusiasm for pursuing a career at A&O Shearman.

Yes

I would advise applicants to be specific about why A&O Shearman appeals to them, rather than relying on generic points about international work or commercial law. Research the firm’s practice strengths, recent matters and wider initiatives, and be prepared to explain how these connect with your own interests and experiences. During the application and assessment process, focus on demonstrating clear reasoning, commercial awareness and genuine curiosity rather than trying to give a “perfect” answer.
On the scheme itself, I would recommend asking thoughtful, researched questions, clarifying the purpose, audience and deadline of each task, and communicating early if priorities conflict. Seek feedback actively and show that you can apply it to later work. It is also important to build relationships naturally across your team and the wider firm, while remaining realistic about your capacity and not overcommitting. Finally, approach unfamiliar work with confidence and curiosity: you are not expected to know everything immediately, but you should be willing to learn, take ownership and check your work carefully.