Matt Oliver
Matt is a former FTSE 100 lawyer and qualified 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 15+ 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
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…
I’m often asked: how hard is it to get a training contract? My answer is it’s notoriously difficult, with the majority of candidates failing each year. HOWEVER, the hurdles aren’t insurmountable. In this article, I’ll explore why it’s so challenging and why it can be easier than you think. I’ll also outline proven strategies to…
In this post, you will discover key guidance and insider insights to help you secure a training contract as an international student. You will learn both from my 17+ years of experience coaching international students to help them secure training contracts and from co-writer Ananya Agrawal, an international candidate who secured a training contract with…
In this interview, Arnav Maru explains how a more tailored approach helped him secure a training contract and the importance of coherent narratives in the application process. Arnav is a future trainee solicitor at Travers Smith, an Oxford post-grad with an undergraduate in law from MNLU, Mumbai, India. If you’re an international student, also check…
In this interview, Raina Mahapatra provides invaluable tips, including how to overcome common mistakes and how best to leverage an international background. Raina is a current trainee solicitor at Eversheds Sutherland, with an LLM from Queen Mary and an undergraduate in law from India. If you’re an international student, also check out our Insider Guide…