Allen & Overy Interview: Process, Questions & Tips

Understanding the Allen & Overy Recruitment Process

Allen & Overy (now part of A&O Shearman following its 2024 merger with Shearman & Sterling) is one of the world's leading international law firms. Competition for training contracts, vacation schemes, and lateral roles is intense, so understanding the broad shape of their recruitment process gives you an immediate advantage.

While exact stages vary by role, location, and intake year, candidates for training contracts in the UK typically move through an online application and verbal reasoning or situational judgement test, a video interview stage, and then an assessment centre that includes written exercises and partner or senior associate interviews. Vacation scheme applicants often follow a similar early-stage route. Always check A&O Shearman's official careers pages for the most current process, as structures do change.

• Stage 1: Online application form and academic screening
• Stage 2: Online aptitude or situational judgement tests
• Stage 3: One-way or live video interview
• Stage 4: Assessment centre (written exercise, group task, and interviews)
• Stage 5: Partner or senior associate interview

What the Video Interview Stage Looks Like

Many leading law firms, including those at Allen & Overy's tier, use one-way video interview platforms to screen candidates at scale before assessment centres. In a one-way format, you record answers to pre-set questions within a strict time limit — typically 60 to 90 seconds per answer — with no interviewer present. There is usually a short preparation window before each question, and you record your answer in one or two takes.

This format rewards candidates who can structure their thoughts quickly and speak with confidence on camera. Because you cannot read the room or adjust to an interviewer's cues, your preparation and delivery need to be especially deliberate. Practising under realistic timed conditions — ideally recording yourself — is the single most effective thing you can do. ScreenReady is built for exactly this: it simulates timed, one-way video interviews and gives AI-powered feedback on your answers, so you can identify habits (filler words, pacing, eye contact) before the real thing.

Core Competencies Allen & Overy Typically Assesses

Elite commercial law firms consistently assess a common set of competencies, and A&O Shearman is no different. Understanding what each competency actually looks like in practice — not just its label — allows you to select and shape your examples far more precisely.

Interviewers at this level are looking for evidence of genuine commercial awareness, not just an ability to recite news headlines. They want to see that you understand how legal work creates value for clients, how deals work, and how global trends affect business decisions. Beyond intellect, they assess collaboration, resilience, communication clarity, and your motivation for this firm specifically versus the profession generally.

• Commercial awareness: understanding client industries, business models, and market pressures
• Analytical thinking: structuring complex problems and identifying key issues quickly
• Teamwork and collaboration: contributing to group outcomes, especially under pressure
• Communication: explaining complex ideas clearly, written and verbal
• Drive and resilience: demonstrating initiative and persistence through setbacks
• Firm-specific motivation: articulate reasons why A&O Shearman, not law broadly

Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Competency questions follow a predictable architecture. Using the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result — keeps your answers focused, evidenced, and time-efficient, which matters enormously in a timed video format.

Below is an example of a well-structured answer to one of the most common questions asked at commercial law interviews.

• "Tell me about a time you worked in a team to achieve a difficult goal." — STAR example: S: During my second year, my university pro bono team had to submit a legal research memo on short notice after a team member dropped out. T: As team lead, I needed to redistribute the workload without losing quality or missing the deadline. A: I held a 20-minute triage call, reassigned sections based on each person's strengths, set interim check-ins, and personally drafted the executive summary to relieve pressure on others. R: We submitted on time; the supervising solicitor described the memo as one of the strongest the clinic had received that term.
• "Why Allen & Overy / A&O Shearman specifically?" — Research the firm's key practice strengths, recent high-profile deals or publications, and its culture. Reference something concrete, not a platitude about 'prestige'.
• "Give me an example of a time you had to analyse complex information and make a recommendation." — Choose an example that shows systematic thinking, not just a correct answer.
• "Describe a situation where you had to persuade someone who initially disagreed with you." — Focus on your listening and reasoning process, not just the outcome.
• "What do you understand by commercial awareness, and can you give an example?" — Tie a current market development to a legal implication, showing you connect the two naturally.

How to Build Genuine Commercial Awareness

Vague references to 'the economy' or 'AI changing everything' will not impress partners at a firm that advises on the world's most complex transactions. Commercial awareness means understanding specific industries, the legal work those industries generate, and the pressures clients in those industries actually face.

Build a sustainable habit rather than cramming. Read the Financial Times, the Economist, and A&O Shearman's own client alerts and thought leadership pieces (available free on their website). For each story, ask: who are the parties, what is the commercial problem, what legal disciplines are likely involved, and what are the risks? Practise articulating this aloud, concisely, in under two minutes — the discipline of speaking it out loud catches gaps in understanding that silent reading hides.

• Follow A&O Shearman's insights and publications directly on their website
• Track two or three sectors (e.g. financial services, energy transition, tech M&A) in depth rather than everything shallowly
• Identify the legal angle: what type of work does each story generate?
• Practise a 90-second verbal summary of each story — the video interview format rewards this skill directly

Assessment Centre: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Assessment centres at top commercial law firms typically combine a written exercise (often a commercial or legal problem-solving task), a group discussion or case study, and one or more competency-based interviews with partners or senior associates. The written exercise tests your ability to read a document pack, identify the key issues, and produce a structured, client-ready response under time pressure.

In group exercises, assessors are watching how you contribute, not just whether your answer is right. Candidates who dominate rarely score highest; neither do those who say very little. Aim to build on others' points, introduce new angles when discussion stalls, and help the group reach a conclusion. In interviews at this stage, expect deeper follow-up questions — assessors will probe your examples to test depth and authenticity, so choose experiences you know inside-out.

• Read the written exercise brief carefully — identify what you are being asked to do before writing a word
• Structure written answers: issue, analysis, recommendation — mirror how lawyers advise clients
• In group tasks, reference others by name and acknowledge their contributions explicitly
• Prepare three to five strong STAR examples that can flex across multiple competency questions
• Have two or three well-researched questions ready to ask your interviewers

Final Preparation Checklist

Thorough preparation is table stakes at this level. Use this checklist in the week before each stage to make sure nothing is left to chance.

For video interview stages specifically, record yourself answering questions under timed conditions multiple times before the real interview. ScreenReady lets you practise in a format that closely mirrors one-way video platforms, so the mechanics feel familiar and your mental energy stays on content, not on managing nerves about the technology.

• Research A&O Shearman's recent deals, mergers, and strategic direction
• Prepare STAR examples for: teamwork, leadership, analytical thinking, commercial awareness, resilience, and persuasion
• Practise answers aloud — not just in your head — within time limits
• Test your camera, microphone, background, and internet connection the day before
• Know your CV in detail: be ready to discuss every line authentically
• Prepare a clear, specific answer to 'Why A&O Shearman?' that references firm-specific detail
• Have two or three thoughtful questions ready for your interviewer