A&O Shearman Clerkship Application
Where excellence meets belonging: collaborative high-performance law across the globe
Program Overview
- Criterion: Penultimate year of Australian or New Zealand Law degree - Criterion: Excellent academic results - Criterion: Strong interest in commercial law practice - Mentoring: Rotations across two practice areas with exposure to different teams - Mentoring: Training sessions and presentations throughout program - Development: Potential international office visit (Asia Pacific or US) for Sydney clerks - Development: Networking opportunities across multiple practice groups - Pathway: Graduate positions for 2028 filled from 2026/27 clerkship cohort - Pathway: Historically all Sydney clerks receive graduate offer - Program: Sydney Summer Clerkship (10 weeks, 30 Nov 2026 – 5 Feb 2027) - Program: Perth Summer Clerkship (3 weeks, Jan/Feb 2027)
Locations
- NSW
- WA
Firm Values
- - Identity: Global top-tier firm with 135+ AU lawyers across Sydney and Perth
- - Identity: Fully integrated network spanning 29 countries and nearly 50 offices
- - Identity: Heritage of excellence through A&O Shearman's unified platform
- - Values: Do what matters
- better
- - Values: Collaborative high-performance teamwork
- - Values: Mutual support and collective excellence
- - Culture: Inclusive and belonging-focused environment
- - Culture: Celebrates individuality and diverse perspectives
- - Culture: Learning from the best in the firm
- - Differentiator: 10 operational principles for consistent excellence
- - Differentiator: 40+ mental health advocates in leadership roles
- - Differentiator: Hybrid working with modern purpose-designed offices
- - Differentiator: Early responsibility and long-term development focus
Awards & Recognition
- - Award: Pro Bono Outstanding Firm — Chambers UK Awards — Winter 2025
- - Award: Best Pro Bono Initiative (Afghan Pro Bono Initiative) — LexisNexis UK Awards 2026
- - Recognition: Pro Bono Excellence recognition — Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice 2026
- - Award: Blended Finance Deal of the Year (Ecuador Nature Bonds) — Global Banking & Markets Awards 2026
Community & Pro Bono
- Program: United for Global Mental Health Partnership (2025–2027) - Focus: Access to justice; equality and protection of rights; innovative social finance; rule of law; supporting displaced people; environmental sustainability - Initiative: Global social impact partnership with USD 1M target and comprehensive pro bono support - Impact: 219 UK lawyers completed 25+ pro bono hours (2026); 40%+ Washington DC lawyers exceeded 50 hours; 24 individuals surpassed 100 hours (2025) - Partner: United for Global Mental Health - Partner: Justice Without Borders - Partner: Z2K - Partner: Coram Children's Legal Centre - Initiative: Veteran discharge upgrade programs - Initiative: Australia office pro bono and community initiatives