Legal Trainee (2485)

Job summary

Are you looking for a legal traineeship that offers a unique and stimulating start to your legal career, working right at the heart of government?

Government Legal Service for Scotland (GLSS) provides legal services to central government, advising on policy, legislation, and functions, including human rights, constitutional law, and private law. We represent the Scottish and UK governments in courts, tribunals, and inquiries, supporting the implementation of devolved powers like social security. Our legal work is varied, topical and rewarding.

We are recruiting for two-year traineeships commencing in September 2027. Your training will involve high quality, often high profile, work covering a wide range of legal issues that impact our society in Scotland. There will be opportunities to work in a variety of GLSS offices, as well as the possibility of secondment in the second year to a private practice firm or to the Office of Solicitor to the Scottish Parliament.

There may be the possibility of a permanent role after the traineeship subject to vacancies being available and your success in a formal assessment centre.

Job description

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research and analysis.

• Drafting skills.

• Assist with the instruction of counsel.

• Prepare written legal notes.

• Work with policy colleagues.

• Support qualified legal staff in all of the above.

Person specification

Qualifications

Candidates must have an LLB in Scots Law from a provider accredited by the Law Society of Scotland before commencing their traineeship. Candidates are also required to have completed a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice before commencing their traineeship.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job, and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Technical/Professional Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of public law and its practical application to government.

Experience:

• Experience in organising and managing your own workload in a flexible way to respond to competing and changing priorities and deadlines.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and influencing - Level 2.

• Working Together - Level 2.

• Making effective decisions - Level 2.

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,754, Scottish Government contributes £9,778 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for March 2026, however this may be subject to change.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : GLSS Resourcing Team
• Email : GLSSResourcing@gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : scottishgovernmentrecruitment@gov.scot