Allen & Overy profile

Allen & Overy

Best Student Employer
4.5/5
293 Reviews

About Allen & Overy

We’re Allen & Overy, for 90 years, we’ve been at the forefront of the legal industry by finding new ways of meeting the challenges that our clients face. In today’s ever-changing world, we continue to break new ground. We work with companies, organisations and governments on issues of incredible scope and complexity. We’re a pioneering, forward-thinking business; the only one to have topped the Financial Times Innovative Law Firm ranking six times.

An exciting career is there for the taking. Our trainees can expect a rewarding experience that will prepare them to succeed. In each of their seats they’ll support a senior associate or partner, with exposure to work that crosses departments and borders – a lot of the firm’s work involves two or more jurisdictions. Our trainees also have the chance to spend six months in one of our internationals offices, or on secondment to one of our clients.

As the legal industry evolves, we’re proud to have the resources, the vision and the mind-set to equip our people to operate in the legal landscape of the future. For trainees, this means an in-house training programme characterised by flexibility and choice – like the chance to take a litigation course alongside their rotations. As we strive to be at the cutting edge, bringing technology to the legal sector like never before, our future relies on technology and graduates with open minds. 

This is an opportunity for anyone to reach their potential, around half our trainees have a degree in a subject other than law – we will help you develop into an exceptional lawyer and learn to do work of the highest possible standard. We provide a supportive learning environment and encourage you to challenge the status quo.

Benefits

Working at Allen & Overy offers an exceptional range of benefits, including: season ticket and cycle-to-work loans, a health and wellbeing centre including in-house GP, physiotherapist, dentist and dental plan, an on-site fitness centre and sports hall plus in-house beauty and wellbeing therapies, as well as access to a wide range of discounted goods and services. In the UK, we currently provide access to support through our employee advice line and private medical insurance. All trainees globally have free access to wellbeing apps (Headspace and Unmind.)

Vacation scheme

Allen & Overy offers vacation scheme opportunities to students and graduates from all degree disciplines. Each year we have two schemes across winter and summer, if you are an undergraduate you need to be in your penultimate or final year of study to be eligible to apply.

For full details about our academic requirements, the skills and attributes we look for and the application process, please visit aograduate.com

First-year opportunities

A&O First is our work experience programme for students in their first year of a three-year course or second year of a four-year course. Providing you with an insight into the skills needed to be a successful lawyer, this scheme gives you exposure to a commercial environment and the opportunity to start carving your career path and building a network with our people. You can apply between 8 January 2024 - and 16 February 2024. Find more details and the online application form on our website, aograduate.com.

Training contracts

The Allen & Overy training contract is characterised by flexibility and choice. It’s a chance to really discover life as a lawyer, the seat structure ensures that you get to see as many parts of the firm as possible and that your learning is hands-on and guided by a senior associate or partner. Trainees are required to spend a minimum of 12 months in at least two of the three core departments of banking, corporate and international capital markets to really discover the depth of the firm, and find the opportunities that appeal to them. The firm offers its trainees the option of completing a litigation course. This means that trainees do not need to spend time in the firm’s litigation and dispute resolution department to gain their contentious experience if they are sure their interests lie elsewhere. There are also opportunities for trainees to undertake an international or client secondment during their final year of training.

Sponsorship

When you accept our offer of a training contract, we will provide financial support for your law school studies.

Bring your varied perspectives to the table

We know that diverse organisations that succeed in bringing people together, create superior solutions and are more sustainable. They also better contribute to the communities that sustain them, and who give them license to operate.

We also know that equity and diversity result from an inclusive environment and that unconscious bias can live in an organisation’s established processes. This is why creating an environment in which all at A&O can thrive, achieve their potential and challenge the inadvertent effects of traditional processes, globally and locally, has been a priority for us for many years.

The pandemic and recent events around the world have emphasised that opportunity is not equitably spread and that community-wide action is needed to make progress. A&O is committed to playing a full part in this. Now, more than ever, we must ensure that our good intentions continue to translate into progress on equity and diversity so that, as we emerge into the new normal, our progress is not impaired.

At A&O we go beyond hoping for a better future. We know that hope is not a plan. We actively foster an inclusive environment where people can be their true and authentic selves at work. We know that by listening, and encouraging challenge, that genuine inclusivity can be achieved and not just aspired to.

7th

Best Student Employer

Awarded 7th in Law Best 100 Student Employers 2023-2024


Reviews

Overall Rating

4.5/5

293 reviews

  • 5 stars
    60%
  • 4 stars
    34%
  • 3 stars
    3%
  • 2 stars
    1%
  • 1 star
    0%
4.9/5

"My Vacation Scheme at Allen Overy was thoroughly enjoyable Unlike other vacation schemes we were trusted with real work and received feedback quickly on the work we had completed There were great social events which allowed us the chance to speak to " Read full review

4.1/5

"Two days per weeks were talks and presentations three days per week were spent shadowing a trainer in a specific department" Read full review

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Opportunities offered:

  • Internship (1 Month+)
  • Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

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