Colleague stories: Michael Higgins

Life as a trainee in Glasgow: Michael’s experience

Michael Higgins qualified as a Solicitor in December 2025, after completing his two-year traineeship in Lindsays’ Glasgow office. Having completed seats in Private Client, Personal Injury and Family, he has joined our Family Law team.

Why I chose Lindsays

I was attracted by Lindsays’ reputation and the variety of work the firm does. I liked the messaging on the website about supporting clients through their life journeys and providing legal assistance on whatever they need.

From my research on traineeships and different firms, it also seemed that Lindsays celebrates its people, supports them, and showcases their successes – something I wanted to be part of.

Having completed my traineeship, I’ve seen the effort and time that Lindsays puts into people. The firm invests in us and wants us to be the best that we can be - and I don't think you can go wrong with that.

Highlights of my traineeship

In both Personal Injury and Family, it’s been rewarding to help move things forward for clients in difficult situations – whether that’s people who have suffered some kind of injury or people involved in high-emotion, high-stakes family law situations.

I did certainly have to prepare myself for the client contact in those seats, but as a trainee at Lindsays, you’re never left completely on your own. There was a real balance between being challenged and being supported.

The support I received

In all the teams, there’s a strong support network around you. Along with our regular HR catch-ups and Peat 2 Quarterly Performance Reviews, we had regular and useful meetings with other senior solicitors and partners.

And the training and support went beyond the legal aspects. There was training on business and commercial awareness, building relationships and networking, raising your profile on LinkedIn, and so on. It's very much a learning-focused environment.

The social side

We have social committees in every office, and I was asked to join the social committee in Glasgow. The committee includes everyone from trainees to Senior Associates, and we try to arrange as much as possible. We have summer drinks, informal social nights, quiz nights, and there are also sporting events and groups across the offices, such as a Strava running group.

We also have Lindsays Links events for early-stage solicitors, which I was involved in setting up.

There’s a lot of opportunity to socialise, and I’d say to any trainees or early-stage solicitors, to get involved. It’s fun, and it also helps you develop your interpersonal and business skills.

My tips for traineeship applications

What I tried to do in my application, was to highlight skills that aren’t necessarily legal, but which are highly transferable - skills that would make me a good leader, help me handle high-pressure situations, or overcome challenges.

So, I would say, showcase your skills and explain how they would apply in scenarios you might meet in a legal career.