First Year Programme 2025

You will then be prompted to complete an immersive, video-based Situational Judgement Test (SJT) which includes verbal and numerical reasoning items. The test is untimed and should take around 30-40 minutes. The SJT is designed to provide a realistic preview of what you may experience as a trainee at A&O Shearman.
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Please note that you can only make one application per recruitment cycle.
Programme Overview
If you think a career in commercial law could be for you and are keen to find out more, there's no better place to learn about the legal world than our First Year programme, in our transformational global firm. This programme is packed full of insights, experiences and exposure to the challenging work we do through work-shadowing and networking. During the programme, we will help you boost the skills we look for in future trainees, such as technology and commercial awareness. You will see first-hand what it's like to be part of our supportive community and get a sense of what is expected, and we could help you achieve when you join us.
Benefits:
Gain hands on experience in an industry-leading law firm
Develop practical skills and knowledge
Receive mentorship from experienced legal professionals and guidance from the Early careers recruitment team
Potential to be fast-tracked to interview for a Vacation Scheme, The Scheme will take place in April 2025, so make sure you can attend should your application be successful.
Be advised we DO NOT recruit on a rolling basis. All applications will be reviewed after the deadline, and you should expect to hear from us after the deadline has passed.
DE&I at A&O Shearman
Diversity, equity and inclusion is a priority for us. We embrace diversity. It's our diverse team sharing their varied experiences and ideas that allow us to be industry leaders. So, we pride ourselves on being an equal opportunities employer and never discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or disability. Whoever you are, you can belong here.
Area of expertise
Students & Graduates
Office
London - Bishops Square
Working arrangement
Office based role

Students in their first year of a three-year (or second year of a four-year) undergraduate degree from any degree discipline
Minimum grades of AAB (136 UCAS points) or equivalent at A-Level, and on-track for a 2:1 undergraduate degree. We also require 7 GCSEs at grade 6 or above (including Maths and English). Mitigating circumstances will be taken into account
Skills:
To set yourself apart from the competition and to succeed in our high-performing firm, you'll need to be:
Driven
Committed
Curious

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.
We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.
Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.
What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.