A&O First Participant Review

The programme consisted primarily in talks from members of the firm, which covered practice area introductions, ESG-related topics, Diversity and Inclusion and the firms' networks, and practical application guidance among others. There were also interactive workshops and games, as well as many opportunities for networking, not least with the personal mentor assigned to each participant. Finally, the scheme also included an office tour and various social events for the whole cohort.

I have mainly developed existing skills, including communication and networking (both virtually and in-person), teamwork and basic legal analytical abilities. My learning has been primarily content-based; the scheme allows you to gain a huge amount of knowledge about the firm.

It was really rewarding to be immersed in the firm; the scheme was very comprehensive and this has made me confident that the firm is the right place to start my career.

The A&O people I met throughout the scheme were invariably kind, helpful and interesting, meaning the general atmosphere was one of support, acceptance and dynamic exchange.

I greatly enjoyed the insight: the firm culture was fantastic (as already discussed), the people I got to meet (both at the firm, and fellow participants) were always a joy to talk to, and I came away feeling I had gained valuable knowledge, experience and, consequently, confidence.

Yes

For the application: back yourself (!), especially for the commercial application question and the commercial part of the interview. You do not need to make overly complex or detailed points all the time-- logical, considered comments are always valid and positive, even if they seem unexceptional. For the scheme: do not hesitate to ask questions-- everybody at A&O was more than willing to answer as many questions as they could, and their responses were invariably helpful and/or insightful.