Early careers - Australia | A&O Shearman careers

At A&O Shearman, we lead the market by finding new ways to meet the challenges our clients face.

Whatever your area of expertise and wherever your ambitions lie, we provide you with the platform to develop your career and the challenges to help you realise your full potential. But we're offering more than just exciting work.

We care about our people, which is why we foster a culture of inclusivity and belonging. When you start your career with us, you'll be learning from the best in an environment that celebrates your individuality.

Download our graduate brochure for expert advice, tips, and everything you need to know about our clerkship programmes and graduate positions.

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

A group of colleagues engaged in conversation outside of the office.

Sydney Summer Clerkship

Launch your career with us and be exposed to unlimited development opportunities in an environment where you can be your authentic self.

During our Summer Clerkship Programme, you will gain practical experience working alongside A&O Shearman lawyers on real deals and matters.

In addition to your legal work, you will attend training sessions and presentations aimed at broadening your understanding of our business and helping you to develop the skills you need to be a successful commercial lawyer. Recent summer clerks have worked on a client pitch project, an interactive deal walk-through and a mock transaction. But it’s not all about work. Our summer clerkship programme features numerous opportunities to meet and socialise with other A&O Shearman people - both in the office and outside.

Just as our Summer Clerkship Programme is a good way to get to know us, it is a good way for us to get to know you. During your time with us, we gather feedback on all our clerks, and many go on to secure a graduate offer and start their legal career with us. Our ten-week programme is designed for penultimate year law students.

2026 key dates

Applications open on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 9:00am AEST
Applications close on Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 11:59pm AEST
Interviews commence in the first week of August 2026
Offers will be made from September 9, 2026. All offers must be accepted or declined by 1:00pm AEST on September 10, 2026.
Summer Clerkship Programme will be between November 30, 2026 and February 5, 2027 (with a two week break over Christmas).

APPLY NOW

A professional smiling in a working environment.

Perth Summer Clerkship

Seize the opportunity to create a future of doing empowering work whilst being exposed to unlimited development opportunities.

During our Summer Clerkship Programme you will gain practical experience working alongside A&O Shearman lawyers on real deals and matters.

In addition to your legal work you will attend training sessions and presentations aimed at broadening your understanding of our business and helping you to develop the skills you need to be a successful commercial lawyer. Recent summer clerks have worked on a client pitch project, an interactive deal walk-through and a mock transaction. But it’s not all about work. Our summer clerkship programme features numerous opportunities to meet and socialise with other A&O Shearman’s people – both in the office and outside.

Just as our Summer Clerkship Programme is a good way to get to know us, it is a good way for us to get to know you. During your time with us we gather feedback on all our clerks, and many go on to secure a graduate offer and start their legal career with us.

2026 key dates

Applications open on Monday June 22, 2026
Applications close on Sunday July 26, 2026
Offers made on Friday September 11, 2026
Summer Clerkship Programme will run for 3 weeks in January/February 2027.

A professional walking outside of the office, looking towards the sky.

Legal Support Professionals - Perth

Advanced Delivery - Legal, Perth is an important component of A&O Shearman's advanced delivery toolkit, enabling us to deliver our expertise to our clients through the right combination of resourcing and technology.

An alternative approach for legal minds

Are you ready to put your law degree to work at the centre of a high-growth area of legal practice? Would you like to work in not just one but all of these practice areas - International Capital Markets (ICM), Corporate, Litigation, Arbitration, Banking and Intellectual Property?

A&O Shearman’s clients demand benchmark-setting expertise at ever-increasing levels of efficiency. That efficiency is essential when a matter might involve millions of documents. Advising effectively on matters of that magnitude is possible only because A&O Shearman’s legal expertise is amplified by the techniques pioneered in our Advanced Delivery Legal (ADL) offices.

If you’re chosen to work in ADL as a legal support professional, it will be your legal expertise that A&O Shearman’s clients count on to evolve, perfect and apply those advanced techniques.

Colleagues collaborating in an office environment.

New Zealand students

We’re actively recruiting from New Zealand and will be on campus at the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington in April of each year.

New Zealand students follow the same path as those from Australia i.e. apply to us for a summer clerkship in your penultimate year with a view to joining our graduate program upon graduation.

If you are already a NZ qualified lawyer, you can be admitted to practice in all states and territories of Australia under the Trans-Tasman mutual recognition scheme which offers a fast track admission process. NZ qualified lawyers should visit our experienced lawyers pages for opportunities as a qualified lawyer in Australia.

People working together in a professional office environment

Welcome to our law career guide

Whether you’re applying to A&O Shearman, or any other law firm, this hub will provide you with advice, tips and key information on application processes, interview preparation, and assessment days.

EXPLORE OUR LAW CAREER GUIDE

A professional smiling while seated in an office environment.

Belong and excel at A&O Shearman - Australia

A&O Shearman was the first global elite law firm to start operating in Australia, through the legacy of Allen & Overy. Our practice now comprises 29 top-tier partners, each leaders in their field.

Our Australian operations in Sydney and Perth are fully integrated into A&O Shearman’s global network. We focus on innovative and expert legal solutions across a broad range of areas.

A&O Shearman Australia offers the best of both worlds: the expertise and resources of a global elite law practice coupled with a leading group of senior domestic practitioners.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we operate and conduct our business across Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to Elders, past, present and future.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WORKING IN AUSTRALIA

Application tips

Completing your online application

Academic achievement is essential to make it into the world of law, but don’t forget to make the most of your extra-curricular activities and work experience to show that you are an ambitious, well-rounded candidate.

Know your goals

Creating an application that stands out from the rest of the crowd and sells your skills can be a challenge. In the first instance, make sure that you know exactly what’s required by familiarising yourself with the selection criteria. Communication, teamwork, interpersonal skills and commercial awareness are just some of the skills we look for at A&O Shearman, so prepare some examples to demonstrate your experience of each.

Show a rounded personality

We want to find out what type of person you are, so try to showcase yourself in your application. We expect academically successful candidates but your application will stand out if you show that you have experienced life outside the library. Volunteering, or joining a society or sporting team, is valuable, especially if you take responsibility for a task, such as managing a budget or project. Try to demonstrate your appetite for responsibility and your capacity to shape events and outcomes.

Leverage your work experience

If you have completed legal, commercial or any other kind of work experience, think about what you have learned and observed. You may, for example, have made a recommendation for improving a process to your manager. Using examples like this on your application and during interviews shows that you have learned from your experience and that you are willing to be asked about it.

Focus on the firm

At A&O Shearman we recognise that you will be applying to a number of law firms and that can mean a lot of applications. It may appear that each firm wants a similar application, but your individual approach and attention to our firm will help set you apart. It’s worth taking the time to focus on each individual application – it may take longer but the effort will be worth it if you secure an interview. The questions asked by different firms may look similar, but it is unlikely you will be able to use the same answer each time.

Be accurate

Ensure your application is free from spelling and grammatical errors – attention to detail is a fundamental skill for a lawyer – so we expect this to be reflected in your application. We’re not looking for poetry but we are looking for you to be accurate and concise. It’s a good idea to draft, edit and get someone else to read over your application before clicking ‘Submit’.

How to shine at interviews

Your interview is an opportunity to substantiate what you have said about yourself in your application and for us to get to know you better, and vice versa. Naturally, if you’ve come this far you want to impress, so make sure you get the following basics right and remember to be yourself throughout.

Revise and practice

Remember to revisit your application before your interview. The interview questions are likely to include details about school and university studies, your interests and achievements, work experience, why you have chosen this career and why you want to work at A&O Shearman. University careers services may offer mock interviews, so book one if you can. Getting feedback on how you come across in an interview scenario from someone you don’t know can be really helpful before the event.

Stay up-to-date

You should expect to be asked questions about topical, commercial or business issues so start reading up on stories in the newspapers or online, and be prepared to discuss your opinions at interview. We want to find out what you think and why you think that way.

Get the logistics right

Before your interview, ensure you know the dress code, directions and the selection process.

Make an impression

First impressions count, so dress appropriately, smile, maintain eye contact and offer a confident handshake. It’s not simply a case of impressing your interviewer – getting the first bits right will make you feel better and more confident, which will help you in the interview itself. Be confident and self-assured – if you have been invited to an interview, we already think you have potential, so remember this.

Ask pertinent questions

An interview is a two-way process, so while you will be expected to do most of the talking in an interview, this is also your opportunity to see whether the firm is right for you. It’s a good idea to prepare a couple of questions to ask at the end of the interview covering issues you genuinely want to learn more about.