The Scottish legal system is separate from England and Wales, with its own legal rules, courts and professions, giving rise to different entry and training arrangements. Introduction A solicitor provides expert legal advice and support to individuals, corporate clients or public sector organisations. Solicitors may work in private practice, or in-house in areas such as central and local government, the Crown office and other commercial organisations: How do I become a solicitor? There are three routes as follows: 1. Qualifying through standard route The main route is the university route. This involves three stages: a. A Scots Law LLB degree at one of ten accredited universities in Scotland View accredited universities and course options on the Law Society of Scotland’s website: Universities accredited by the Law Society of Scotland to offer the LLB b. Professional Education and Training Stage 1 (PEAT 1) – also known as the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice This focuses on the practical skills and knowledge required and is available at one of six universities in Scotland: Law Society of Scotland - Where can I study the Diploma? Considerations: Good grades in your professional subjects in year one & two of the LLB may help you to secure a place on the competitive Diploma course at your preferred institution. The Diploma is valid for five years from 31 December in the year of its award, and you must start a traineeship before that date e.g. a Diploma awarded in June 2023 will be valid until 31st December 2028. According to the Law Society of Scotland: in session 2021/22, demand from applicants exceeded the number of spaces available on the course, meaning unfortunately some applicants were unsuccessful in securing a place on the 2021/22 Diploma course. Law Society of ScotlandGuidance note for applicants 2022/23 There were around 700 available spaces and approximately 1800 applications. For further information on the Diploma application process, Diploma providers, fees and funding options, visit the Law Society of Scotland webpage: Law Society of Scotland - Diploma in Professional Legal Practice c. A two-year traineeship, also known as Professional Education and Training Stage 2 (PEAT 2) This is paid, work-based training, supervised by a Scottish-qualified solicitor. (see section, “Exploring the traineeship in more depth”) 2. Qualifying with a non-law degree If you are a non-law graduate, entry to the legal profession in Scotland is via the graduate entry LLB (the accelerated two-year Scots Law LLB). The accelerated LLB is available at one of nine universities in Scotland. On completion, you would continue to qualification via the same route as other graduates who have undertaken the LLB i.e. through completion of PEAT 1 and PEAT 2 as outlined in the “1. Qualifying through standard route”. For more details on accelerated LLB providers, costs, and recruitment timescales, visit the Law Society of Scotland webpage: Law Society of Scotland - Accelerated LLB for graduate entry 3. Qualifying via an alternative route to the LLB Those who already work in an office with a Scottish-qualified solicitor usually adopt this route and involves: Passing the Law Society of Scotland’s professional exams as well as completing a “pre-PEAT training contract”. Continuing to qualification through completion of PEAT 1 and PEAT 2 as outlined in the “1. Qualifying through standard route”. Note: A Master of Laws (LLM), a taught Master’s degree offers an academic, rather than a professional, qualification, and as such does not provide the specific subjects designed to meet the Law Society of Scotland’s requirements. How do I become a practising solicitor? You can apply for admission to the Law Society of Scotland to have your name put on the roll of solicitors within the following timeframes: After at least three months of training but before your first year is complete. You must complete a mandatory advocacy course and 20 hours of sitting-in training. After at least one year of training. At the end of your traineeship. The Law Society of Scotland provides further guidance on the admission process: Law Society of Scotland - Admission to the roll of solicitors How can I gain work experience? As the legal profession is a competitive field, it is advisable to gain experience in order to develop the skills and competencies sought by employers. Look at our information on building legal work experience: Legal work experience Exploring the traineeship in more depth With who can I do a traineeship? Three types of firms are available: Big law firms; tend to be large commercial firms. Smaller, medium sized firms; high street firms; family, property, conveyancing, private client firms and criminal defence firms. In-house organisations; private or public sector. Examples are the Scottish Government Legal Service, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, NHS, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Standard Life. You can practise in any area of law e.g. you may have a traineeship in a conveyancing practice but once you have finished your traineeship, you will be a fully Scottish-qualified solicitor so you can work in any area of law. Is the type of traineeship right for you? Make sure that the employer you are applying to is the right one for you. Here are some questions to help you consider: Is it the right size of company? Do they have the sort of client base you would be interested in working with e.g. public sector versus corporate? Do you feel motivated by perhaps a commercial environment? Do you get to specialise or get more exposure to different areas of law within your traineeship? Can you see yourself with that employer once your traineeship has finished? When should I apply for a traineeship? The onus is on the individual to find a traineeship. Although a traineeship will not commence until the autumn after the completion of PEAT 1, many large commercial firms tend to recruit two years in advance so it’s important to bear this in mind. This could be as early as the end of your third year of your Scots Law LLB and for those students on the accelerated LLB, this can mean applying for traineeships in the summer between your first and second year of your course. Smaller firms usually recruit as and when they need a trainee; these opportunities usually become available closer to when you have completed the Diploma or even after you complete. In-house organisations are slightly different; can offer anything from current vacancies up to one - two years in advance. Where can I find a Traineeship? Access MyCareerHub and search for opportunities using keywords such as “legal traineeship” or “traineeship”. It’s worth looking at the expired opportunities function to find firms who have advertised vacancies in the past and who may be worth approaching speculatively: MyCareerHub - opportunities Become a Student Associate at the Law Society of Scotland free of charge and get up-to-date advice and traineeship application information: Law Society of Scotland - Student associates View the University of Edinburgh Law School alumni webpages, which provide details of traineeships under the career opportunities section: Edinburgh Law School - Alumni - career opportunities Check out Lawscotjobs, the recruitment website from the journal of the Law Society of Scotland, which advertises legal vacancies including traineeship providers: Lawscotjobs Sign up for daily alerts to Scottish Legal News to keep abreast of news, developments and vacancies in the sector: Scottish Legal News Search for solicitors by area or law or location at solicitors.com: solicitors.com Considerations for international students The Law Society of Scotland advises: “Overseas students studying with the intention of securing employment thereafter in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK are advised to make enquiries that they can satisfy any visa requirements. The traineeship constitutes a period of work, rather than study, so students need to be aware of the change in their requirements prior to qualifying...If this affects you, please visit the UK Government's website for further information.” Applying for the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice - Law Society of Scotland websiteDiploma Guidance Note for the 2022/23 session As a solicitor qualified in another jurisdiction, how can I requalify into Scotland? The Law Society of Scotland advises: All solicitors re-qualifying from another jurisdiction can apply to undertake the Qualified Lawyers Assessment. This is a universal set of exams, which will attract various exemptions for solicitors already qualified in certain countries. View the Law Society of Scotland website for further guidance on the application process (obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility) and the Qualified Lawyers Assessment: Law Society of Scotland - Requalifying into Scotland
