Vacation Scheme Student Review

During the vacation scheme, I conducted due diligence reviews, analyzing contracts, corporate registers, and legal documents to identify key risks on live transactions. Alongside this hands-on work, I attended practice area spotlights and firm overview sessions to deepen my understanding of A&O Shearman's strategic priorities, client offerings, and culture.

In a simple word it was "novel". I could understand the unique strategies utilised by A&O Shearman as a business when catering to its clients, be it the use of AI or curation of pro bono services in a hands on environment. The services in this sense and the roles are all adaptive and curative for an ever-changing client market.

During the scheme, I significantly sharpened my attention to detail through employment law due diligence and document reviews. Sitting with live deals taught me that precision isn't just about catching typos, but identifying subtle clause variations, like non-standard termination terms, that carry genuine commercial risk. This experience honed my ability to maintain relentless focus across complex agreements and connect minor drafting details to the client's broader business strategy.

The culture at A&O Shearman was exceptionally welcoming, collaborative, and down-to-earth, balancing high-stakes work with an approachable, non-hierarchical atmosphere. Connecting with the South Asian Affinity Network over lunch highlighted the firm's genuine commitment to diversity and provided a great sense of community. Here, I met and spoke with Atharav Deshmukh, a current trainee, which was particularly insightful, as he shared practical, transparent advice on navigating the trainee journey and thriving at the firm.

I thoroughly enjoyed the vacation scheme, particularly because the firm genuinely values the perspectives of its interns. When I proposed an idea to update their bespoke AI tool, Contract Matrix, my team enthusiastically supported me in developing the concept, a project I am still actively working on today. This experience showed me that innovation is truly welcomed at A&O Shearman, regardless of your level.

Yes

First, take time to deeply understand the strategic vision behind the A&O Shearman merger and tailor your application around their core agility competencies (Change, People, and Solutions Agility). Second, actively engage with the firm's affinity networks and trainees during the process to gain authentic insights into their culture. Finally, don't be afraid to show initiative, demonstrating a commercial mindset and an interest in legal tech will help you stand out.