Job description

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 an inclusive environment, 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.

Discover what it is like to work at A&O Shearman
Each year, A&O Shearman Belgium offers paid one month summer internships during July and August in our Brussels and Antwerp offices. We welcome motivated law students (in their Master's) who are keen to gain practical insight into the work of a leading global law firm.

During your internship, you will be fully integrated into one of our teams, work on a variety of assignments, and gain a realistic picture of a legal career in private practice. In addition to hands-on legal work, we organise a structured induction, various workshops and provide opportunities to network with lawyers and other interns throughout your stay.

Practice areas
We offer internships in the following practices:

mergers & acquisitions (Brussels/Antwerp)
antitrust (Brussels)
litigation & investigations (Brussels/Antwerp)
debt finance (Brussels/Antwerp)
financial services regulatory & capital markets (Brussels/Antwerp)
real estate (Brussels/Antwerp)
digital, data, IP & technology (Brussels/Antwerp)
environmental, administrative & regulatory (Brussels)
employment litigation (Brussels/Antwerp)
tax (Brussels)

Who we are looking for

You are currently enrolled in a Belgian Master’s degree in Law (or Master’s degree within the EU for our antitrust practice), with strong academic results.
You are interested in starting a legal career in private practice from 2028 onwards.
You are fluent in English and have an excellent knowledge of French and/or Dutch.
You enjoy working in a team-oriented environment, while also being able to work independently.

What we can offer you
A summer internship at A&O Shearman offers a practical and meaningful introduction to the legal profession:

You will have the opportunity to work on challenging and varied assignments, under the guidance of experienced lawyers.
We provide a structured induction programme and guidance throughout your internship.
You will gain insight into the day-to-day work of an international law firm handling high-profile Belgian and cross-border matters.

In addition, we offer a work environment designed to support both performance and wellbeing:

We provide a modern, purpose-designed office space, with a mix of collaborative areas and quiet working zones.
We offer technology and infrastructure that support flexible and hybrid working.
We have an in-house café with a barista.
We provide access to a gym and optional personal training.
We organise regular social events and team activities, fostering a strong community culture.

Application process (please read carefully!)
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and welcome applications from all eligible candidates.

We invite you to submit your application via the online tool available on our careers website (www.aoshearman.com/careers). Please note that applications submitted by email will not be considered.

To support your application, kindly upload your CV and cover letter (in English), as well as your Bachelor’s (and Master’s if applicable) transcripts. Only complete application files can be taken into consideration.

We currently only offer internships in July and August (not in September or during the winter).

Our summer programme is reserved for Master’s students who will not start their professional career before 2028. If you intend to start your bar traineeship in 2027, we kindly encourage you to apply for this role instead. If you will graduate in 2027 but are not yet planning to start your bar traineeship, please clearly explain your plans in your cover letter when applying for the internship programme.

Please note that a Belgian law degree and/or (future) qualification are required for most of our departments. For our antitrust practice, we welcome applications from any (future) EU-qualified lawyer. We kindly encourage you to clarify your areas of interest and qualification plans in your cover letter.

Please do not hesitate to contact Tamara Nouwen (tamara.nouwen@aoshearman.com) or Bénédicte Forton (benedicte.forton@aoshearman.com) in case you would need any advice on the application process.

As part of our recruitment process, and in order to comply with our legal obligations and internal policies, we require successful candidates to undergo a background screening. The screening also involves providing information on your criminal history through a separate private statement. We will only process information that is necessary and relevant to the position you are applying for. Access to this statement will be strictly limited to the local recruitment officer responsible for your application. Your background screening data will be deleted at the latest six months after receipt. Please see our data privacy notice for more details. If you have any questions, feel free to contact HRBelgium@aoshearman.com.

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