Matt Oliver
Matt is a former FTSE 100 lawyer and accredited career coach who founded Trainee Solicitor Surgery in 2009. He’s helped over 300 aspiring solicitors secure training contracts at top UK and US firms, drawing on 10 years of legal practice and 16 years of coaching expertise.
Matt shares free, trusted advice in his articles and offers expert one-on-one coaching for those who want tailored support from someone who has been on both sides of the process.
Posts
In my coaching and mentoring work, I regularly speak to aspiring solicitors who are unsure whether to undertake virtual law work experience or the value it offers. There are real benefits to virtual experience, but there are also misconceptions. And way too many candidates fail to utilise them in the right way. In this article,…
Many candidates seek to pursue a career as a commercial lawyer without knowing much about what commercial lawyers do (I know I didn’t for some time!). Having spoken to 100s of candidates about this, it seems that it’s difficult for them to understand because it’s a hard thing to explain. There are numerous articles on…
Many candidates claim to want to become a corporate lawyer without understanding what the role entails beyond a superficial level. Not only is this risky when making important career decisions, but firms will also pick up on it, and it will lead to rejections. In this post, I will outline the business matters that corporate…
Many training contract candidates I speak to struggle to distinguish what finance lawyers do. Often, this is tied to a lack of understanding about the broad range of work finance lawyers do. In this post, I’m going to give you a simple overview of what is commonly meant by “finance lawyers”, the different types of…
Contents Introduction The Different UK Legal Systems The SQE Qualification Framework 4 Main Pathways To Qualify as a Solicitor in England & Wales A Quick Guide for School Leavers Introduction When you start to consider becoming a solicitor in the UK, things can quickly get confusing. There’s a lot of information out there, and much…
At some point in a law firm’s training contract recruitment process, you’ll likely have to discuss legal industry trends. Questions take different forms and can ask you to focus on different aspects. This is a key part of commercial awareness and is essential if you’re to land a training contract offer. In this post, I’ll…
Trainee solicitors are a goldmine of information and advice for aspiring solicitors. But so few candidates make the most of this. You will give yourself a competitive advantage if you find ways to meet trainees and ask them well-thought-out questions. In this post, I’ll explain why you should ask trainees questions and give you examples…
What skills do lawyers need to thrive? This guide covers 21 essential skills every lawyer needs and why they matter for a successful legal career.
An in-house legal training contract is the right choice for some candidates. As a former in-house lawyer, I’ve seen trainees benefit from the different in-house training environment and develop into excellent lawyers. In this post, I’ll share 5 of the biggest benefits of doing your training contract in-house. I’ll also guide you on how to…