Magic circle firm Allen & Overy has set-up a graduate training scheme focusing on legal technology and project management.

The programme mirrors the structure of a regular training contract and will see four successful candidates undertake four, six-month rotations in various departments of the firm. They will be based in Fuse, the firm’s technology innovation space.

Candidates should have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) degree, or a degree in economics - meaning a law qualification is not essential. The programme does not lead to qualification as a solicitor but the firm says the intake will gain a ‘recognised qualification in project and/or process management’ and an understanding of its application through the provision of legal services.

Applications for the two-year programme, which begins in September, are open until the end of March. The firm said it will assess whether graduates are taken on at end of the programme.

Louise Forrest, head of legal project management at A&O, said: ‘The law firm of the future isn’t just about the lawyers – we’ve launched this scheme now so that we can shape junior project managers and legal technologists into the professionals that A&O and our clients will need in order to manage the great risks and even greater opportunities that technology presents.’

Kevin Oliver, head of advanced delivery technology, added: ‘The graduates will grow up in A&O, receiving exactly the same level of training and access as our trainee lawyers, and building networks that will make them a key part of the business.’