The assessment framework | A&O Shearman careers

Every law firm will have a set of attributes and skills that they look for in a candidate. At A&O Shearman, we call this the assessment framework.

Here, you can access our assessment framework and use it to help you create a high-quality application or prepare for interviews or assessment days.

Our top tip is to look at the framework and reflect on the attributes, and think about whether you’ve ever been in a situation where you have demonstrated evidence or potential in each scenario. This can be through work experience, life experience, projects you’ve been involved in or hobbies you enjoy. If you haven’t got experience in a certain attribute, don’t worry - the scenario-based interviews are your chance to tell us how you would demonstrate an attribute if given the opportunity.

Change agility

Adaptability
You’re able to take on whatever comes your way and work effectively in changing circumstances, with new people and situations.
Innovation
You anticipate and prepare for future developments, thinking of new and different ways to address current and future challenges.
Intellectual curiosity

You’re driven to grow and learn and have an enthusiasm to take advantage of opportunities where knowledge and skills can be developed.

People agility

Collaboration
You build positive relationships and work effectively with others to reach desired outcomes.
Emotional intelligence
You’re great at reading people and are empathetic to others, willing to see the world through their eyes. You’re aware of your own emotions as well as other people’s.
Communication skills
You can process information and extract key points. You’re able to defend a point of view and accommodate others’ ideas into thinking.

Mental agility

Critical thinking
You’re able to analyse, process and evaluate information from multiple sources to form judgements.
Intellect
You have the mental agility to quickly learn and synthesise information as well as use existing knowledge to build a solution.
Numeracy
You’re numerically skilled and can understand and interpret numbers and data to support clients and the business of the firm.

Solutions agility

Organisation
You can effectively plan and prioritise work to meet deadlines while showing a strong attention to detail.
Drive and motivation
You’re proactive and motivated to complete work on time and deliver to a high standard.
Resilience
You can recover from setbacks and persevere in the face of adversity. You sustain performance under pressure and when completing detailed and lengthy tasks.
Technology awareness
You’re passionate about technology, how it can be applied and how it can innovate the delivery of legal services.

Cases that made me

At A&O Shearman, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global community of world-class lawyers and work on building enduring relationships with clients, rewarding assignments and career-defining cases. Hear from our people as they tell us the story of their career through the cases that challenged them, marked new levels of responsibility or were just exciting to be a part of.

Jan Skuhravy

Jan, a partner in Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure, was always interested in how the law intersected with the tangible realities of life. Listen to Jan share what he’s learnt throughout his career.

Arno Chakrabarti

Litigation and disputes partner Arno shares three cases that have had an impact on his career at A&O Shearman. All three have something in common - no clear path - which allows him the freedom to think creatively to find the solution.

Sarah Henchoz

At A&O Shearman, you work on cases that define the world. Sarah walks us through some of the most complex and exciting cases of her career, including a reality TV star’s employment, a high-stakes poaching case, and a large-scale discrimination case.

Hear from our Global Managing Partner

Hervé Ekué

Hervé shares three of the cases that have shaped his journey, from specialising in debt capital markets and derivatives through to becoming global managing partner of the firm. Hear the cases that define a hugely successful career in global law.