I applied online. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at A&O Shearman (London, England) in Jan 2021
Interview
Applied online for the position and completed a SJT. If you score well on the SJT, your application is reviewed and if successful you are invited to an online assessment centre consisting of a commercial case study and an HR interview. There was also an opportunity to speak to a current trainee at the firm on the day.
The first stage of the application, alongside the online form, involves video interview with unlimited time to prepare and 2 minutes to answer question. No retakes available. Also involved a critical thinking test.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
When have you faced a difficult problem and how did you solve it?
I applied online. I interviewed at A&O Shearman (London, England) in Oct 2025
Interview
Very challenging. Case study interview with in depth commercial questions, followed by a written exercise and then an HR interview. Questions around the SPA, very client-focused. HR interview was competency based.
I had my interview online. The interview consists of three main parts: a case study, questions on the experiences of the candidate, and a written test. The atmosphere was good.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Follow-up questions on the case study on things not given in the documents, mainly testing your commercial awareness.