Matthew Berrick’s Legal Insider provides ‘unfiltered insights’ from top City lawyers
A future Pinsent Masons trainee solicitor is to fund a law scholarship with the proceeds of his new book.
Matthew Berrick will donate all royalties and proceeds from the sale of Legal Insider, a paperback that aims to provide a collection of “unfiltered insights” from lawyers at top law firms and in-house legal teams, to create a scholarship to support GDL and LPC students.
“I felt that I was very lucky to have secured a training contract with a firm that would be willing to sponsor me and pay for my GDL and LPC”, Berrick, a recent graduate from the University of Leeds, told Legal Cheek, adding:
“With COVID-19 creating increasing challenges for students aspiring to break into the profession, the scholarship fund is aimed at enhancing accessibility.”
Our Law School Most Lists show the cost of course fees alone for the GDL and LPC at the most expensive provider can amount to just under £30,000.
Once the funds are in Berrick said he plans to create an application process for students to apply for funding. He will appoint a group of academics and lawyers to oversee and review the process.
The 135-page book was published last month, and features insights from lawyers at Norton Rose Fulbright, Akin Gump and Baker McKenzie, among others, as well as in-house lawyers at the likes of Channel 4, Uber and the BBC. It has received the backing of New York Times bestselling author Dave Kerpen, who described the book as “a must-read for current and future lawyers”.
Berrick’s book offers careers and commercial awareness advice, and is aimed at students with an interest in commercial law, and whom want to train as solicitors. It features insights from paralegals at City law firms who have gone on to obtain training contracts, as well as advice for trainees preparing for qualification.
“The objective of this book is to connect legal professionals at different stages in their careers to you, the reader,” Berrick writes. “Each professional will share their insight, having made career moves that you might or might not have experienced or considered.”