SQE Advisory Board

SQE Advisory Board - Description

Leading the Future

Made up of distinguished leaders from across the legal profession, the board works closely to identify key skills gaps, anticipate future demands, and shape the content and delivery of SQE preparation and ongoing professional development.

In alignment with BARBRI’s mission, we are committed to equipping aspiring solicitors and qualified legal professionals with the tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to succeed in today’s evolving legal landscape and to uphold the highest standards of excellence across the profession.

Meet the Leaders Shaping Our Vision

Charlie Moore

Charlie is an experienced paralegal with a strong background in regulatory law, compliance, and investigation. She also represents BARBRI's student body as the Student Committee Chair. Trained at the FCA, with recent work at Kingsley Napley, Charlie champions diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and actively supports aspiring lawyers while working towards qualification as a solicitor.
Claire McGourlay

Claire is a Professor of Legal Education at The University of Manchester and a National and Principal Fellow of the HEA. She is the Director of External Relations and is also the Director of the Miscarriages of Justice Review Centre. Claire is driving forward the integration of legal tech into the curriculum and has helped create the Manchester Justice HUB in partnership with students.
Ellen Swarbrick

Ellen is an associate in the Transactions group and also represents BARBRI's student body as the Student Committee Chair. She has advisory and transactional experience in project development and finance, cross border M&A and general corporate work. Her industry experience includes energy transition matters involving renewable energy and low carbon infrastructure, as well as traditional oil and gas matters.
Julie Brannan

Julie is a former Director of Education and Training at the Solicitors Regulation Authority, where she led the development and introduction of the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination for admission as a solicitor of England and Wales.  Previously, she was the Director of the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice and a litigation partner at Herbert Smith Freehills.   In addition to being a member of the Barbri UK Advisory Board, Julie is a board member of Qualifications Wales.
Matthew Layton

Matthew studied at Leeds University and brings over 25 years of legal expertise, specialising in M&A, private equity, and corporate finance. He’s now an Independent Governor at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, a Senior Advisor at FTI Consulting and part of the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Tender.
Oliver Storey

Oliver is the Head of Legal at Metro Bank and has worked in Metro Bank’s Legal Team for over six years. Oliver qualified in private practice in 2012 and moved to an in-house role immediately following qualification. After a two-year spell working as Legal Counsel at Care UK in the care sector, which included representing the company at coroner’s inquests, Oliver moved to the UK’s largest BPO in financial services, SS&C (formerly DST) before moving to Metro Bank in 2019.