Bright Network member Farisha is currently studying Law at SOAS. We caught up with her to talk about her experience applying to Allen & Overy and to share her application advice.
Having completed two Vacation Schemes in my second year with two other City firms, I applied to Allen & Overy for my Training Contract due to their reputation in international deals and also because of the amount of cross-jurisdictional work they undertake. I also felt like the training would be the best in the City!
Direct application
I didn’t feel there were any drawbacks from a direct application, however you do need a lot of work experience to help your case. Luckily I benefitted from the vacation schemes I carried out.
A big benefit of direct application is that it shows you’re making a more informed decision, rather than just looking for experience on a Vacation Scheme.
Another plus was the fact that it was much easier than some of the other applications I had carried out before. The online application simply involved answering four or five straightforward questions to explore your desire/drive for the role.
Tough case study
The first interview was one of the most difficult I had ever done, it was made up of an hour discussing my application with a senior associate, followed by a case study.
We had 30 minutes to digest a great deal of information before exploring it further with a partner. It was hard being given a case that I knew nothing about; I had to use logic and infer what relevant legislation might contain and how it might be incorporated into the case.
There was also a large emphasis on financials during that interview, given Allen & Overy's involvment in the financial sector.
Preparation really is essential
Regardless of how challenging the interview process was, Farisha believes that her preparation paid off. "I did as much research as I could and also attended an open day. Knowing what made the Magic Circle firms so distinctive helped, as did keeping up to date with the financial markets'.
