A graduate of Institut d'Etudes Politiques and ENA, Terry Olson obtained a Masters in Public Law at Nanterre.

He was seconded to the Quay d’Orsay to solve problems of public international law, and was appointed Senior Master of Requests to the State Council in 1991. 

In 1995, he was appointed Master of Requests to the State Council. He is the Government Commissioner in the Litigation Division and he teaches public law at Institut d'Etudes Politiques of Paris.