Employability advice

There are many different routes to qualification in Scotland. You can start the route to being a solicitor as a school leaver, as a career change or someone returning to education.  

The LLB is an undergraduate degree and is the most common route for starting legal education. Most students undertake a four-year honours degree, but there is a three-year ordinary course also available. During the LLB you will study all aspects of Scots Law that will allow you to practise as a Scottish solicitor, as well as being able to choose a range of elective subjects. You can also study the Scots Law LLB in combination with various other subjects, and this is called a joint degree. Find out more about the LLB Degree.  

Another entry point might be an HND or HNC in Legal Services, ordinarily undertaken at a College. Can I start a legal career with an HNC? 

If you already have an undergraduate degree, the Accelerated LLB is a 2-year degree which graduates in any discipline are eligible to apply for. It teaches the fundamental requirements for progression onto the subsequent stage of legal education, the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. 

The ‘alternative route’ to qualification is a workplace-based qualification path, which allows people to study for the Law Society of Scotland’s exams alongside working under the supervision of a Scottish-qualified solicitor. This route is usually appropriate for people with a longstanding relationship with an employer (e.g. a paralegal who wants to qualify as a solicitor). Find out more about alternatives to university.  

The Diploma in Professional Legal Practice is the next phase of training to become a solicitor after the LLB. You must have completed the Scots Law LLB to undertake the Diploma and you must have a valid Diploma to be eligible to work as a trainee solicitor in Scotland. Find out more about the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. 

The traineeship is the final stage of qualification. This is a 2-year period of paid, work-based learning to provide you with the practical skills and supervision to become a solicitor. You must apply to a legal employer for a traineeship and work under the supervision of a Scottish-qualified solicitor. Visit our dedicated traineeship section to find out more.   

Find out more about the full route to qualification in Scotland. 

All solicitors looking to requalify as a Scottish solicitor must apply to undertake the Qualified Lawyers Assessment (QLA). Find out more about what's involved in the QLA. 

Solicitors qualified in another jurisdiction can work in Scotland under certain conditions. More information is listed in our Rules & Guidance under D7/D8 and any queries can be made to our Professional Practice team at profprac@lawscot.org.uk. 

Find out more about Registration of Foreign Lawyers and Multi-national Practices. 

• Local solicitors close to where you study or live may be able to allow you to shadow them to get an insight into the day-to-day duties of practising solicitors. Use our Find a solicitor page to find solicitors in your area. 

• We run a summer school annually at the Law Society of Scotland. This programme is available for S4-S6 pupils and college students who are interested in learning more about studying and working in law in Scotland. We also welcome attendance from first and second year LLB students. Find out more about our Virtual Summer School. 

• Larger firms may offer Insight programmes for those interested in studying law, and these tend to be advertised by a firm directly. Many firms also offer formal work experience/ internship programmes for LLB students in Scotland, although you might have to be at a specific stage of your legal education to be eligible to apply. Most big legal employers in Scotland only offer formal programmes, and won’t be able to provide ad-hoc work experience opportunities in addition their existing early careers opportunities.  

• Remember that while work experience is valuable for giving you a working insight into a career, it might not be essential for your CV. Legal employers look for all different types of experience and often highly value the transferable skills from any part-time job/ alternative career. These are skills often critical for a trainee or future legal career, so selling these attributes effectively is important. At university or college your Careers Service should be able to help with this. 

• If you are a school pupil looking for other ways to get an understanding of legal skills, our Street Law and Debate programmes might be of interest. Find out more about our work with schools. 

You will need to find your own traineeship during/ following your legal education and these are advertised by employers directly.  

There is a vast difference in the traineeship recruitment timeline depending on the employer you are applying to.  

• Many larger firms can recruit trainees 2-3 years in advance and may use their internships/vacation schemes as an initial ‘screening process’ for some of their trainee cohort, so you could be eligible to apply for opportunities as early as your 3rd year of your LLB, (or first year of the accelerated course).  

• One year in advance might be typical for mid-size firms, in-house organisations and some big firms where they are recruiting additional trainee places directly (i.e. from outside their internship cohort).  

• Smaller firms might recruit closer to when you would be able to commence the role, i.e. they might advertise around springtime when students are finishing the Diploma.  

• Some employers advertise as and when they need a trainee.  

It is important to have considered what type of traineeship you would like to apply for, and what type of employer would suit you. e.g. do you want a traineeship where you can experience multiple seats (roles in different legal teams) at a bigger firm, or do you want a smaller firm where you can have practical experience in a specific area or a broader range of areas on a more ad-hoc basis? You will need to convey a clear interest in the employer/organisation/firm, possibly as well as specific areas of law.  

Traineeships can be advertised on:  

• University Careers Service portals
• Lawscot Jobs  
• LinkedIn  
• University Law Fairs  
• Directly on employer websites  

Speculative applications may be considered by some employers, which is where you would send a proactive application to a firm that isn’t actively hiring a trainee. This is usually a cover letter and CV being sent to a contact at the firm. Generally, speculative applications are reserved for very small employers who do not have an obvious traineeship application process. To identify potential target employers, you can use our Find a solicitor page, and filter by location/area of expertise. 

For More Info: Finding a traineeship | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk) 

University Careers Services are the best place to get employability advice and offer support to those applying for traineeships. They can provide information on writing successful application forms and CVs, specific types of interview formats (e.g. competency/strength-based), sample psychometric tests and offer mock interviews so you can practise your skills.  

Usually, you can use your university careers service for a period after you have graduated but it is worth engaging with them early on in your university journey.  

You can find a range of sample CVs online through various websites, as well as support on how to write a strong application from legal-specific careers sites like AllAboutLaw. 

When you apply for a traineeship, ensure you make full use of any ‘application packs’ that are available. These usually tell you about the recruitment and selection process, identifying skills and competencies you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful.  

You could apply for a mentor through the Law Society’s mentoring scheme. This allows you to apply to be matched with a mentor in the profession, who could help you with identifying your options, strengths and how to develop your applications. Find out more about our mentoring scheme. 

Our key piece of advice is to always tailor applications specifically to whichever employer you are approaching. The traineeship market is highly competitive and only applications which are well-considered and are closely-matched to what the employer is looking for will be successful. You will have to be proactive in selling yourself and showcasing to the employer your existing transferable skills.  

• Lawscot Jobs is the Law Society of Scotland’s jobs board and offers qualified and non-qualified legal roles throughout Scotland.

• LinkedIn is often where many jobs are posted and often, very small employers/sole practitioners will post links to roles on their company/personal pages. Ensure you are following any employers and individuals of interest.  

• S1 Jobs is the national jobs board for Scotland and may have legal roles advertised, as will other general job sites like Indeed.  

• Directly on company pages, so search regularly on the ‘Vacancies’ section of employer websites you are interested in.  

• Recruiters handle a lot of job vacancies in Scotland, so it might be an advantage to register with a recruiter proactively, or seek a discussion about opportunities if you apply for a role directly through them. Many recruiters operating in the Scottish legal market are listed on Lawscot Jobs.  

• Government jobs (including local government) are posted through MyJobScotland. 

The best networks for you will depend on your areas of interest, but there are a range of fantastic networks throughout the Scottish legal profession which can offer everything from support to subject-specific CPD. Some useful links are listed below, but we would also recommend searching on LinkedIn and online for specific location/special-interest groups.  

• Scottish Young Lawyers Association (SYLA) aims to educate, represent and entertain new lawyers in Scotland and regularly hosts events for junior and aspiring lawyers. 

• Local Bar Associations are located across Scotland, and host CPD events and networking opportunities for solicitors in their area.  

• The WS Society (The Society of Writers to His Majesty’s Signet): Most WS members are qualified solicitors working in-house or at private practice firms. They offer an annual programme of events to members and aim to promote education, expertise, equality and diversity. 

• Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers Association (SEMLA) aims to provide support and create career opportunities for ethnic minority lawyers and law students in Scotland. 

• Disabling Barriers Scotland focuses on assisting aspiring solicitors with a disability to access the legal profession. 

• We have a host of Committees at the Law Society of Scotland which offer an opportunity to volunteer your expertise, grow your skills and play an active role with your professional body. Find out more about our committees and any vacancies available. 

There is no specific qualification you need to undertake to become a paralegal, however there are several professional courses and qualifications that you can pursue which could boost your skills and profile.  

• We run an Accredited Paralegal scheme at the Law Society of Scotland, where paralegals can gain recognition for sector-specific expertise. There is also a trainee accredited-paralegal scheme available for those at the outset of their paralegal careers with eligibile qualifications. 

• Many employers might look for qualifications like a BA in law, an LLB or an HNC/HND in Legal Services.  

• Central Law Training offers specialist paralegal training in Scotland. 

• Scotia Law offers specialist paralegal training in Scotland. 

• Some paralegals might start in another role like Legal Assistant and gaining skills before moving into a paralegal role.  

More information is available on the Scottish Paralegal Association’s website. 

I am a solicitor looking to move abroad and practise law in another jurisdiction. What do I have to do?  

Please contact the Law Society of Scotland counterpart (bar association/regulator) in the jurisdiction in which you wish to practise law. They will be able to advise on the unique requalification route for that jurisdiction. If you require a Certificate of Good Standing (proof of your qualification status in Scotland), please contact our Member Registration team at memberregistration@lawscot.org.uk.