I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at A&O Shearman (London, England) in Jan 2022
Interview
An online application form followed by an hour-long interview with the Head of Graduate Recruitment and a Senior Associate. The interview focused on motivational, competency, and personality questions. There was a particular emphasis on understanding the role of a trainee and an associate.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why Shearman & Sterling?
Why commercial law?
What your degree choice?
Tell us about a commercial story that interests you
Tell us about one book, album, and film that you would recommend and why?
How would you gain the trust of a client of the firm?
What other firms did you apply for?
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.