Spring Program Attendee

I enjoyed the A&O First program greatly. It was an excellent opportunity to see the firm, talk to lawyers, and find out more about the world of commercial law. There were a diverse and meaningful range of activities throughout the program to keep me engaged. Those activities also helped me develop skills like teamwork and resilience.

I felt the strong collegiate environment at Allen & Overy. Everyone I spoke to was friendly and ready to share their perspectives on working at the firm. I was assigned a buddy trainee, and I shadowed him for half a day. He went the extra mile to show me the work he does and involve me in trainings he was attending.

There was a structured program of events that provided me with a holistic view of the firm and commercial law. As someone new to commercial law, I appreciated the high level of guidance and support provided. The activities also provided me with a taste of commercial law, and helped me understand what I needed to do to better prepare for a career in commercial law.

There were workshops on teamwork and resilience building. Those have proved useful in student life. Additionally, this program helped me understand what key skills are required of commercial lawyers - commercial awareness, attention to detail, and an ability to learn quickly. This has helped me understand what I should do at university to prepare myself for a career in commercial law.

The insight was extremely well structured. There was a seamless sequence of events that kept me engaged. Activities were also arranged in a way that mixed seminars with more hands-on workshops, helping to keep up our attention spans. Even though the program was only 2 days, I felt like I attended a wide variety of activities that provided me with a holistic view of the firm.

The environment was collegiate and open. I was able to speak to people comfortably and seek their frank opinions on any questions I had about the firm or commercial law. I bonded with the other participants on the program and I believe everyone enjoyed the experience greatly. I would definitely recommend this firm to my peers.

The whole program was geared around providing us with a better understanding of the firm and commercial law. It was apparent that Allen & Overy believed in investing in personal training and development. The activities I attended helped me gain useful skills such as teamwork and resilience that I have managed to put to use in my student life.

I was given many opportunities to speak and interact with lawyers at varying levels of seniority at the firm. I was given many perspectives on life at the firm, and I believe the insight program has done an excellent job of helping me understand what working at Allen & Overy would be like.

Because the program was only 2 days, it is naturally hard to develop a real understanding of the company culture. However, I was able to talk openly to trainees and junior associates, and my interactions with them have convinced me that Allen & Overy has a great company culture that emphasises personal development and openness.

The insight program confirmed my interest in commercial law. Through this program, I found out more about commercial law through the lens of an elite international law firm, and this has helped me decide that I would like to pursue a career in commercial law because it aligns with my interests and strengths.

I was reimbursed travel expenses, and was provided accommodation at a hotel within walking distance to the office.

Yes, there were many networking opportunities during meal times and after work, at drinks.

I enjoyed the networking opportunities. Everyone was friendly and willing to share their perspective. In particular, the drinks at the end of the first day was a great opportunity to talk to people in a more informal, causal environment. The networking opportunities helped me realise that Allen & Overy has a welcoming company culture.

Yes, there were sharing sessions about clubs that employees can join outside of work.

Yes, I would definitely recommend this insight to anyone interested in finding out more about Allen & Overy or commercial law.