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
Many successful training contract candidates will tell you their successful application cycle included law firm open days. This is because open days give you numerous benefits that can increase your chances of success. One of the most important benefits is getting yourself noticed and standing out from the crowd. Firms often note the names of…
One question that firms routinely ask to decide who to reject at interviews is “Why do you want to be a solicitor?”. The bad news is many candidates aren’t able to figure out how to answer it well. The good news is that you can gain a competitive advantage if you do. In this post,…
Those who attend first-year law schemes offered by law firms have a greater chance of success in securing a training contract. These schemes, often called first-year insight schemes, offer the opportunity to spend between a day and a week in a law firm. They are increasingly important for both candidates and firms in the training…
Having coached many successful Magic Circle applicants, I’ve seen what helps them secure a training contract ahead of the thousands who get rejected. Here are 3 of the biggest lessons from their stories: Lesson #1: Starting early is a game-changer Successful candidates regularly say that being organised and starting the TC process early was key…
You should only apply to a Silver Circle law firm if two conditions are met: It’s a firm that’s the best fit for you. You haven’t selected the firm based on size and prestige. Every year, I see many candidates apply to firms because of their supposed Silver Circle status and get rejected because they…
I’ve reviewed hundreds of answers to the “Why commercial law?” question – and I see the same critical mistakes repeated. It’s such an important question in any training contract application or interview. Failing to answer it well can be the difference between success and rejection. Firms want to avoid the risk that you’re unclear on…
Deciding the questions to ask at the end of a training contract interview is critically important. Many candidates don’t ask any. Or they fail to invest time in crafting questions to finish the interview on a high. This is a huge missed opportunity as the last impression you leave on your interviewers is important. I’ve…
Ideally, you should aim for 10 to 15 training contract and vacation scheme applications per year. BUT…focusing on someone else’s ideal number of TC applications is the wrong way to think about it. The truth is there’s no magic number of applications to make. The real answer to the question is: it depends on your…
Your ability to use AI in training contract applications can set you apart from other applicants. And it’s only likely to become more important as AI and candidates’ knowledge of it develops. The sooner you get to grips with it, the better. In this post, I’m going to give you 3 key pillars: Guidance on…