Winter Vacation Scheme 2025

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.

Application Process

You will be required to submit an online application which details your work and education history.   

You will then be sent an email which will contain a link to complete our online experience. The online experience will include verbal and numerical reasoning items and two short motivation questions to complete via video. The online experience is untimed and should take around 45 minutes. The online experience is designed to provide a realistic preview of what you may experience as a trainee at A&O Shearman as well as give us an insight into your motivations. All parts of the online experience must be completed and submitted by the deadline. 

Please note that you can only make one application per recruitment cycle. 

Scheme Overview

Our week-long Winter Vacation Scheme is for final year students only from any degree discipline. Please note, if you are successful in receiving a training contract offer, this will be for our Spring intakes. 

Our Winter Vacation Scheme is a unique opportunity, designed to show you exactly what it’s like to tackle exciting challenges every day in an industry leading law firm. You’ll have the chance to develop real and valuable skills and experience global success as part of our friendly, supportive and dynamic culture. Throughout the scheme, you’ll have a range of learning tools at your disposal that will show you what it takes to excel as an international commercial lawyer. 

Benefits:

Gain hands on experience in an industry-leading law firm 

Develop practical skills and knowledge 

Receive mentorship from experienced legal professionals 

Potential to secure a training contract and further your career with us based on your Vacation Scheme performance 

Requirements:

Education:

Students in their final year of study, from any degree discipline (graduating in Summer 2026). This will be for a Spring Training Contact start date only.   
Minimum grades of AAB (136 UCAS points) or equivalent at A-Level, and on-track for a 2:1 undergraduate degree – 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: 

Open-minded 

Innovative 

Collaborative 

Critical thinker 

More information on the attributes we look for can be found on our Law Career Guide. 

Applications open 4th August 2025 and close on 15th September 2025 (5pm GMT). 

The Scheme will take place from 1st to the 5th December 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 week commencing  29th September 2025. 

Our Assessment Days will be taking place week commencing 13th October and 20th October 2025.  

Inclusion at A&O Shearman 

We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.