How to prepare for first round interviews

First-round interviews can feel intimidating or nerve-wracking but think of it as a two-way process; it’s about finding out if the firm is the right fit for you as well as the firm working out if you’re the right fit for them.

Think about your ambitions and values and how they align with the firm which you are applying to. Are you passionate about pro bono work? Are you interested in innovation? What research have you done around the programme you’re applying for and what was your inspiration? This is your chance to show what you’re capable of.

Do

Think about the skills demanded of a lawyer and how your experiences demonstrate those skills.
Research as much as you can about the firm’s areas of expertise, so that you can come to the conversation prepared to respond to a case study.
Speak to lawyers and grow your knowledge about the legal industry. Use any conversations you’ve had with lawyers or at law fairs as examples to show your interviewer how motivated you are.
Prepare some questions to ask at the end of the interview - this helps demonstrate your motivation and interest in the role.

Don’t

Forget to think about the structure of your responses. It’s important that you give enough detail in your answers while speaking concisely.
Give generic answers but answers bespoke to you and your experience as well as the firm and the programme you are applying to.
Ignore what’s happening around the world. The legal industry and our clients are impacted by current affairs, and it’s important to show an understanding of this.
Be afraid to be open. Interviewers want to get to know you, so when they ask how you are or how your day has been, use the opportunity to start a conversation and build rapport.

Here’s some advice from our team to help you ace your interviews:

“Take advantage of your family and friends and practise your possible answers out loud. As uncomfortable as it sounds, it is so beneficial to listen to yourself back and see how coherent your answers sound. Try to add some colour to your answers by linking them back to life experiences and how different decisions led you to wanting a career in commercial law.” - Saranya Barthe, Associate

“Think back to the types of scenarios you dealt with on the SJT. Prepare by trying to verbalise how you would react to those types of situations step by step. In particular, presenting your thoughts logically and with reasoning would be important here.” - Hafsah Nawaz, Associate

“Have some key facts and figures on the firm that are easy to remember in your head, such as number of offices etc.” - Max Brankin, Associate

Your A&O Shearman application

At A&O Shearman we use motivational interviews as part of the selection process for the first-year programme and the black student lawyer programme.

Those are held virtually over MS Teams with a member of our recruitment team and last 30 minutes. They are designed as an opportunity for us to get to know you better and learn more about your skills - so, as well as being conversational, we will use some of this time to cover a brief commercial case study. Our case studies are designed so that they don’t favour those studying law degrees but instead are used to assess your commercial awareness overall.

To prepare for the interview, refer to the A&O Shearman assessment framework.

What’s law got to do with it?

You don’t have to study law to be a lawyer. Hear from some of our people as they explain how their degree skills transferred to a career in commercial law.

These videos, originally produced under the A&O legacy, authentically showcase the experiences and opportunities synonymous with A&O Shearman.

History

What do pirates, smuggling and witchcraft have to do with law? Watch as Euan explains how transferable skills - including persuasive writing, evaluating sources and understanding motivations behind action - have been essential to his career at A&O Shearman.

Mechanical engineering

Imagination and collaboration are as essential to mechanical engineering as they are to a career in law, explains Jade. Find out how a growth mindset has been applicable to becoming a trainee solicitor at A&O Shearman.