A&O Shearman
Working at A&O Shearman
Working at A&O Shearman Culture and benefits Training and development Candidate charter Ways of working
A&O Shearman
Explore opportunities you couldn’t find anywhere else
We are an international law firm with a global network of experts, all thinking creatively, entrepreneurially, pushing boundaries and building for the future. Across almost 50 offices in 29 countries, we combine the brightest minds in law with the most cutting-edge technologies, integrated in our supportive environment to meet and exceed the highest standards of our industry.
We have the skills to handle complex, cross-border deals, working together with teams across different offices, jurisdictions and continents.
Join us to find challenges, support, and a place for you to belong. And together we can excel.
Global virtual work experience
At A&O Shearman, we work with some of the biggest clients on complex business problems. By completing our virtual work experience, you’ll get to see what it’s really like on the inside of a transformational global law firm.
We recognise legal work can be difficult to obtain at times, which is why we’ve partnered with Forage to design a globally accessible virtual work experience. The self-paced, modular experience will provide you with an important understanding of the day-to-day tasks a commercial lawyer at A&O Shearman will face.
Your future starts here
Every law firm will have a set of attributes and skills that they look for in a candidate. At A&O Shearman, we call these the Lawyer of the Future Assessment Framework.
Determined by a vigorous job analysis process and validated with our early career populations globally, the Lawyer of the Future Framework defines the skills and qualities we’re looking for in our future lawyers.
We assess four key areas: Change Agility (adaptability, innovation, intellectual curiosity), People Agility (collaboration, emotional intelligence, communication), Mental Agility (critical thinking, intellect, numeracy), and Solutions Agility (organisation, drive, resilience, technology awareness).
These are the qualities we believe will set you up for success at a firm like ours.
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Explore careers at A&O Shearman in Belfast
Join our team and combine high-quality international work with a collaborative culture and clear development pathways.
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Legal professionals programme - Belfast
Whether you are looking to start your career or embrace a new opportunity, the door is open to join a team who create new approaches to law.
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Summer Vacation Scheme - Belfast
Our summer vacation schemes based in Belfast: practical legal work, mentoring, and insight into life at a global firm.
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Advanced Delivery and Support
Help us bring together technology, resourcing and end-to-end solutions that enable our in-house legal teams to meet todays continually changing and challenging environment.
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Business Services
Support the firm behind the scenes. From operations to client delivery, you’ll help drive performance and shape how our business runs every day.
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Central Management
Work with senior leaders to drive strategy, change and growth. Support decision-making across regions, practice areas and business priorities.
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Corporate
Work on major transactions that shape global businesses. Develop commercial insight, collaborate on a global scale, and help clients navigate complex corporate challenges.
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Working at A&O Shearman
Discover who we are, what we stand for, and how we're shaping the future through innovation and leading-edge work.
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Ways of working
Our 10 ways of working are about doing what matters, better, and helping each other to succeed. They are enablers that help us achieve excellence consistently.
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Experienced careers
Explore senior and experienced roles worldwide - join teams solving complex legal challenges and shaping global business outcomes.
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Finance
Work on major financing deals worldwide - from leveraged and syndicated loans to project, asset, sustainable and structured finance, plus regulation across global markets.
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Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure
Work on projects powering economies and transforming communities. Help solve energy, renewables, infrastructure and ESG challenges with a global team.
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Information Technology
Build and support the tech that powers global legal work. From cybersecurity to systems innovation, help us work smarter and faster.
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Know how, library and training
Help lawyers access insight, research and learning. Build knowledge tools, training and resources that strengthen expertise across the firm.
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Marketing
Tell our story to the world. Create campaigns, build relationships and showcase our work to clients, talent and markets globally.
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Risk function
Help us operate safely, ethically and with integrity. Support regulatory compliance, risk assessment and decision-making across the business.
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Finance
Manage financial planning, reporting and commercial insight. Help guide investment decisions and ensure the firm runs with clarity and control.
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Human Resources
Shape careers and workplace culture. Support recruitment, development, performance and wellbeing across a global community of legal professionals.
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Culture and benefits
Learn about our high-performance culture, our ways of working that sustain it, and our core values of belonging and excelling.
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Training and development
Grow your career with structured global training, mentorship, and development programmes that build your skills and prepare you for complex challenges.
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Disputes
Help clients resolve high-stakes disputes. Work on litigation, arbitration, and investigations with teams who think strategically and act decisively.
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Summer/Winter Vacation Schemes - London
Our Summer and Winter Vacation Schemes in London give you hands-on legal experience, mentorship, and insight into life at a global firm.
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Training Contract - London
A structured two‑year training contract based in London - learn, rotate, grow into a first-class commercial lawyer.
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Law Tech and Operations Graduate Programme - London
Explore how you can shape the future of law with us - combine legal expertise with technology innovation.
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Solicitor Apprenticeships - London
Join our 6‑year solicitor apprenticeship - earn while you learn, rotate through teams, qualify with no uni debt.
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Discover working life at A&O Shearman in London
Join our team and collaborate across borders, handle complex matters, and grow in a fast-paced environment.
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First Year Programme - London
Explore our insight days: access our global network and about the firm and discover insights about the firm - get a feel for life as a lawyer early.
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Black Student Lawyer Programme - London
A dedicated one‑week programme with mentoring and real-lawyer shadowing - designed for black undergrads.
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Step into Law scheme - London
A three-part programme for Year 13 students - workshops, mentoring, and support as you explore a commercial law career.
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Smart Start Programme - London
Our social mobility programme for Year 12 students - work experience, skills training and career insight.
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Early careers - London
Kickstart your legal career in London with our vacation schemes, apprenticeships, and training opportunities - gain hands-on experience and mentorship.
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Global Virtual Work Experience Program
Take part in our fully remote work experience programme - real tasks, real insight, global reach.
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Early careers - Belfast
Begin your legal career in Belfast - access schemes, work experience, and training opportunities with a global firm.
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Candidate charter
Applying for a job is a significant investment of your time, energy and trust. We want you to feel welcomed, respected and supported throughout the recruitment process.
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Our global locations
Explore our offices worldwide and see how we deliver innovative legal solutions from key locations, connecting people, expertise, and opportunities.
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Hiring events at A&O Shearman
Join our online and in‑person events - meet our team, ask your questions, and get real insight into life at A&O Shearman
