西瓜视频

What a typical day looked like, was a couple of in-depth sessions in the morning exploring an aspect of the firm- the Finance practice, or the firm鈥檚 inclusion policies for example- followed by sitting with your trainer for the rest of the day and getting some work done. I sat in Litigation & Investigations, and as it was a quite busy period for the team, I got to do some really useful work, such as research tasks, taking verbatim minutes for meetings, and I even got to go to court.

Absolutely. As alluded to before, I had to take verbatim minutes, and while that doesn鈥檛 seem like much, in Litigation, it鈥檚 actually a very very important task- every little detail matters, so as much as possible that鈥檚 being discussed needs to be noted down. I struggled with it at first because it was a surprisingly difficult task, but then I got some really good feedback and improved massively. I also got to hone my attention to detail, particularly in the context of working on redacting some documents.

The scheme was immeasurably helpful in trying to contextualise what life would be like as a Trainee Solicitor at A&O Shearman. A lot of the tasks my trainer gave me were typical trainee tasks, and we were informed severally during talks of what a trainee鈥檚 role would be like, and how the firm makes sure trainees are supported to perform in that role. I also learned a lot about the firm and its unique position in the legal market, and what makes a client pick up the phone to instruct A&O Shearman on a case or a deal.

Genuinely, it was great. Everyone was lovely, from the PAs to the Partners. Everyone was immensely busy, and yet made sure to take time out of their day to talk to me. Cannot speak highly enough of it.

To a very high extent. Loved the work, loved the people, loved the firm.

Yes

It sounds like the most basic advice, but I would genuinely say to know yourself and the story you鈥檙e trying to tell in the application. Think about work and life experiences you鈥檝e had, think about the skills those have developed and how they鈥檙e useful to commercial law and specifically A&O Shearman, and think about why having those skills uniquely positions you to contribute to the firm. Then methodically tell that story.