Junior associates - Netherlands | A&O Shearman careers

Experience a career without limits

As a junior associate at A&O Shearman Amsterdam, you work on complex, often international matters right from the start.

You will learn by doing, take on responsibility early and discover where your strengths lie, all while developing into a confident and versatile (tax) lawyer or civil law notary.

Programme overview

Your training is designed to help you grow quickly - both professionally and personally. The work is demanding. Your team will support and challenge you in equal measure. The result: you will bring out your best sooner than you thought possible.

What you will do

From day one, you are a full member of your team. You work closely with (international) colleagues on diverse matters and have direct contact with clients.

Your work may include:

Advising a multinational on a cross-border merger or financing deal;
Drafting and negotiating transaction documents;
Advising on the tax structuring of international acquisitions or reorganisations;
Preparing and reviewing notarial deeds for corporate transactions.

Explore our different practice areas

You get opportunity to experience the breadth of our work and discover what suits you best.

You can work in areas such as:

Competition.
Corporate M&A.
Employment and Benefits.
Finance and Real Estate.
International Capital Markets.
Litigation (including Arbitration, Corporate Litigation and Intellectual Property).
Notary (Corporate, Real Estate, International Capital Markets).
Tax.

Rotations

After 1.5 years, you will have the opportunity to rotate between practice groups. This allows you to explore and expand your interests and strengths and make a well-informed choice about your specialisation.

Growth and development

You will learn every day on the job, supported by a strong training programme.

You will:

Attend internal training sessions focused on expanding your legal knowledge and skills;
Develop your professional skills such as presentation, communication and negotiation;
Learn directly from experienced professionals in your team and our international network.

Programme details

Your background

You have (or are close to completing) a master's degree in Dutch law (civil effect), tax law or notarial law.

Your profile

You recognise yourself in (some of) the following:

Entrepreneurial mindset;
Strong analytical skills;
Curious and eager to learn;
Strong communication skills;
A team player;
Proactive and detail-oriented.

Application window

You can apply year-round.

Even if there are currently no open vacancies within your preferred practice group, we still encourage you to apply. We are always open to talent and offer opportunities to start with us throughout the year.

Explore our graduate opportunities

Application process

Online application

Upload your CV, cover letter (including your top three preferred practice groups and start date), transcripts and any internship evaluations.

Assessment and HR interview

If selected you will complete an online assessment (analytical skills and personal profile), followed by an interview with one of our recruiters.

Interviews

You will then have two interview rounds with a total of four partners, where we explore your motivation and experience in more depth.

Offer

After the interviews we will get back to you as soon as possible with our decision.

Regardless of the outcome, you will always receive constructive feedback.

Our professional training programmes

Our professional training programmes equip you with the expertise, judgement and confidence to excel as a (tax) lawyer or civil-law notary.

A professional working outside of the office.

Trainee lawyer (advocaat stage)

The junior associate traineeship spans three-years, starting from the moment you are admitted to the Dutch Bar. During this period, you will be fully immersed in high-quality legal work from the start. You will gain hands-on experience while working closely with your principal mentor (patroon) and other experienced lawyers who are actively invested in your development.

Alongside your work on client matters, you will complete the Dutch Bar professional training programme and the Law Firm School (LFS).

The Dutch Bar programme focuses on core legal skills, ethics and the standards of the profession.

The LFS, designed by leading Dutch law firms, prepares you for our international corporate practice.

Together, these programmes strengthen both your legal expertise and professional judgement

A&OS in Court

A unique opportunity to gain real courtroom experience early in your career. You will handle your own cases, appear in court and develop your advocacy skills in practice. Matters typically include subdistrict court cases in areas such as contract law, tenancy law, employment law and discrimination cases, including in collaboration with Discriminatie.nl. You will be closely supported by a team of experienced litigators who guide you step by step. This programme also helps you meet Dutch Bar requirements for litigation experience.

A professional smiling while seated in an office environment.

Trainee tax lawyer

Our tax lawyers follow the Dutch Association of Tax Advisers (NOB) Professional Education Programme.

In addition, all our tax lawyers are admitted to the Dutch Bar, so you will also participate in both the Dutch Bar training programme and the Law Firm School (LFS), ensuring a strong foundation in both tax law and the broader legal practice.

A professional standing outside of the office, looking up.

Candidate civil-law notary

From your first year, you will work on high-profile corporate transactions, preparing and reviewing notarial deeds working under the guidance of experienced notaries.

During the first three years of your training, you will rotate between practice areas, gaining experience across different disciplines and discovering where your strengths lie.

Our candidate civil-law notaries participate in the Royal Dutch Association of Civil-law Notaries (KNB) Professional Education Programme, building the expertise and practical skills for a career in notarial practice.

Support

Across all these programmes, your development is guided by structured training, experienced mentors and continuous feedback.

Our dedicated Traineeship Manager serves as your point of contact during your training period, supporting you in in all aspects of your training and professional development.

Building your future

Alongside your mandatory professional training, you will benefit from tailored (international) A&O Shearman development tracks designed to accelerate your growth, including:

Base Camp

A foundational programme for all new legal professionals in Amsterdam, focused on strengthening your legal and soft skills within your legal area. Led by experienced colleagues and partners, it also provides an excellent opportunity to connect with peers across the firm.
Making Your Mark

Our core development international programme for junior associates, designed to support your performance and help you realise your full potential early in your career.

As a global programme, Making Your Mark also provides an excellent opportunity to build your international network and connect with colleagues across different offices.
Driving your career success

This programme helps you explore your unique professional identity and how it shapes your career decisions. Through coaching-based tools and strategies, you will gain the confidence to take purposeful steps forward in your development.

At A&O Shearman, we empower you to take ownership of your career from the very start - with real responsibility, continuous support, and the opportunity to grow in an international environment where your development truly matters.
EU Law Academy

A content-driven programme for first-year associates across our European offices. It focuses on key EU law developments relevant to our clients and prepares you for cross-border collaboration, while helping you build a strong international network.

A professional smiling outside of the office.

Secondments

At our firm, you will work in an international environment from the start. As such you will have the opportunity to spend time at one of our offices abroad or with one of our clients; either short- or long-term.

This allows you to experience working in a different jurisdiction, expand your international network and grow both professionally and personally.

As one global firm we offer a consistent way of working and level of support across all offices.

Meet our recruiters

We know how important it is to feel supported to succeed as a candidate. We will guide you throughout your application process with us. Our candidate charter lays out our commitment to you. We look forward to sharing your journey with us.

Applications are only accepted via our career website. If you have any questions or seek additional guidance, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our recruitment team.