Jessica Smith

LLB, 2026, St Mary’s College

I am thrilled to start my training contract with A&O Shearman in 2027. My time at Durham played a key role in helping me reach this point. The in-depth and thorough academic teaching at Durham gave me great insight into many areas of law. Some of the guest lectures which I attended whilst at Durham actually informed directly some of my interview answers (for example a guest lecture on ESG and trusts). I was able to talk passionately about different subjects because of the engaging teaching.

I also received a lot of non-academic support from the careers team through practice assessments and interviews, and the Law School’s employability course really helped me develop as a candidate. Being on the exec, and a member, of a number of the law societies at Durham also gave me great experiences to discuss. It also offered direct access to a number of firms.

The Durham Careers Service support was an incredible resource, including the many practice assessments available online which helped me gain confidence in approaching them. The Law School’s employability course also helped me to develop relevant skills, ensuring my application answers were well developed when it came time to apply.

My advice is to trust in your abilities but also be ready to develop as a student. I had no idea what a law degree really entailed when I started and it took some time to get used to the learning style, but it’s so worth it when you get there.