RateMyPlacement
A fantastic opportunity, giving an insight into the work which the lawyers do but also importantly, the supportive culture at the firm. Each day, there were many opportunities to ask questions during talks, reach out to individuals within the firm and speak to the Graduate Recruitment Team. There was also a great opportunity to form connections with peers on the Scheme in completing a Group Innovation Challenge!
Attended various presentations delivered by members across the firm. Completed an assessed drafting exercise, research task and group presentation during the week.
It was good but not excellent - the insight scheme was designed to give us additional information on how to break into the legal sector. I enjoyed being advised on how to make my future applications stand out, but I got the impression that other people on the insight were overly competitive. This is not surprising, but one would hope that attendees would be more collaborative, as that is what the legal sector is supposed to be about.
I thoroughly enjoyed the insight scheme- it was fantastic to hear from a range of people from the firm, including those who had completed the scheme in the years prior to us and had subsequently secured future grad careers at the firm. Also, the webinars and talks delivered were thoroughly engaging and covered a wide range of topics, from the work they complete to activities that would help progress our careers. A social event was also organised for us which was a fantastic opportunity to network with like-minded individuals. I feel I was able to really understand the firm and am excited for my future prospects with them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the A&O First Summer Scheme. It was engaging and informative despite taking place online. The chat bar was vital in achieving this as it enabled everyones questions to be asked. There was a good varied range of activities from the Jargon Buster Challenge which was very interactive to the talk on Advanced Delivery which was more explanatory. I was pleased by the mixture between trainees and partners that we interacted with, all of whom were welcoming.
Really enjoyed it, had a range of interactive sessions which were very informative!
Very much so - there were insights into the firm's practice areas, sessions with partners, associates and trainees, as well as professionals from the Advanced Delivery group.
I greatly enjoyed the insight. A & O First this year was run under very difficult conditions of COVID-19 pandemic. We have had email from Allen & Overy Graduate Recruitment since March and had support throughout the programme. The A & O First Programme was insightful itself. It gave a lot of information about Allen & Overy itself, partners' interpretation of the business strategy, and how to set expectation from a vac scheme or a training contract.
The scheme being virtual was better than I expected initially. I was quite anxious about the structure of the scheme and whether I could engage with my peers and the people in the firm. But all the webinars/sessions have given me plenty opportunities to ask questions whenever needed, and the extra one-to-one and Q&A sessions throughout the week has given me more opportunities to raise questions on specific topics on cultural differences and interaction with the firm.
It was really enjoyable. Our vacation scheme was made virtual for the first time, due to coronavirus. To say that all the sessions had to be online, it was clear a lot of organisation had gone into making the sessions as fulfilling and varied as possible. It was clear the other vac schemers were likeminded so it was easy to network and work in teams. There was a good mix of activities (social and business) to get a better feel for the company
I enjoyed the scheme very much, as it gave me an insight into the firm's various practice areas, and its Pro Bono and diversity commitments. I also had the opportunity to talk to employees at the firm, and find out more about their personal experiences and what drew them to Allen & Overy. The innovation challenge was also great as it gave me the chance to bond with my teammates and get to know them better.
I thought it was an incredible experience! Despite the limitations of the virtual format, the graduate recruitment team made sure that the scheme still provided plenty of opportunities to interact with people working at A&O in different departments and levels. The virtual sessions were interactive and I would say quite similar to a physical talk. Overall, I think that the scheme was excellent, and provided us with similar insight and exposure to the firm that we would have received under normal circumstances.
I thoroughly enjoyed this virtual experience! These are unprecedented times and thus, needing to go virtual was not an ideal way to have an internship, but the graduate recruitment team nonetheless fulfilled my initial expectations and beyond. The scheduled events were all insightful and definitely gave me a clearer view of my career aspirations.
Really informative, engaging and well-thought-out. Great group of smart and enthusiastic people.
The scheme was interesting and offered a diverse range of opportunities from classroom sessions to work shadowing. The sessions were all enjoyable and directly relevant to a future career in the legal sector. I would recommend the scheme to anyone who is looking to gain an insight into what a career as a corporate lawyer may be.
I found the vacation scheme to be an excellent way, not only to learn a great deal about the firm and its ethics and values, but also how it is applied in the professional sphere. the group activities were highly enjoyable, incorporating concept and ideas generation as well as group bonding exercises, which helped us to settle in with other people on the scheme. the variety and depth of tasks that were required of us was refreshing, being given positions of responsibility as well as the opportunity to learn.
I really enjoyed the Winter Vacation Scheme at Allen & Overy. There was a perfect mixture of presentations (on Fuse, Pro-Bono, training, future thinking - to name a few!) , tasks to complete at our desks (provided by our trainers), networking opportunities and social events. I felt a little nervous before the scheme started, but as soon as I got to the firm I realised that everyone was really friendly and helpful!
My vacation scheme was extremely enjoyable because of the work I was doing in addition to all the people that I met over the scheme. Although it only lasted 1 week, I felt that I gained a great insight into the work environment of Allen & Overy and I feel confident in saying that A&O has a friendly and supportive culture.
I found the week fun and enjoyable when doing work and co-operating with other people. The talks were useful and informative and gave an insight into the workings of the firm, its philosophy and working environment. The staff were always engaging and supportive whilst the planned activities such as dinner at the Ritz and the welcome/ leaving drinks were great.
This scheme provided me with a fantastic insight into commercial law. This insight was well balanced between getting to know the firm's culture, its departments and my potential future cohort! The scheme was filled with networking opportunities with current and future trainees and also dinners with partners and council who were able to answer questions about long term development and progression at the firm.
