Legal traineeships

The GLSS traineeship

Each year a number of two year legal traineeships are made available offering the opportunity to work within the Government Legal Service for Scotland (GLSS).

What to expect from a traineeship with the GLSS

A traineeship with the Government Legal Service for Scotland (GLSS) offers a unique and stimulating start to your legal career, working right at the heart of government.

Our traineeships are one of the most varied and rewarding available, offering opportunities for trainees to be involved at the cutting edge of public law. We deal with big questions, the answers to which determine the future of Scotland and the UK and have a tangible effect on people's lives.

You can expect your training to cover a wide range of legal work from core professional areas – like contract, employment, litigation and public and administrative law – to specialist advisory work for the Scottish Government and associated agencies. Trainees can also expect to become familiar with the development, drafting and implementation of new legislation, which are core elements of the work of the GLSS and unique to working as a government lawyer.

You will typically work in four different seats, each lasting six months, perhaps with the opportunity to go on secondment to a private sector firm or the Scottish Parliament in your second year to gain legal experience working outside of government.

Throughout your traineeship you can expect to be supported by your colleagues, line manager and our dedicated Trainee Committee which provides strategic oversight, planning and management of our trainees and their traineeship path. You will be part of the civil service and your work and experience will reflect the Scottish Government core values:

• we act with integrity
• we are inclusive
• we are collaborative
• we are innovative
• we are kind

As part of the SG hybrid working policy, legal trainees in roles which are suitable for hybrid working may have the opportunity to informally deliver work from home, in addition to time spent at their office base.

Our current work arrangements require all trainees to spend time every week working in an office and/or with stakeholders. Office base locations are defined based on team location and individual arrangements are agreed in advance with line managers. 

Hear from some of our current trainees about their experiences in these blogs.

Why choose us

One of the main things that sets us apart is the opportunity that GLSS trainees and lawyers have to move between different and very diverse areas of work over the course of their careers.

Every trainee is a valuable member of the team and will be given their own projects to work on, with a strong network of support and training. This could involve giving formal advice to Ministers, drafting subordinate legislation, or working on high-profile litigation. As a GLSS trainee you enjoy the balance of undertaking complex, challenging legal work in a kind and supportive environment, making our traineeship one of the best in terms of preparing you for life as a qualified lawyer.

Along with your legal work there are opportunities to get involved in some of our many cross-office and cross-government networks, including a Wellbeing Network, Diversity and Inclusion Network and Social Group.

As a GLSS trainee, you will also enjoy the benefits of working for the civil service, including:

Holidays, leave and flexible working - we provide a range of flexible working and leave options to help staff find a work-life balance that meets the organisational needs and individual requirements and circumstances.

Financial reward and benefits - we offer our staff more than just a competitive salary and generous pension scheme. We provide a wide range of benefits and incentives to suit the individual needs and circumstances of our people.   

Staff health, wellbeing and support - we care about our people and their wellbeing. We provide our staff with opportunities to connect with colleagues and balance work with their outside commitments.

What we are looking for

Our GLSS traineeships are suited to law students or graduates who have a particular interest in public law and public service.

The political environment is ever-changing and, as such, the nature of the work can be fast-paced and dynamic. That means we need trainees who are adaptable, flexible and able to respond to the issues of the day.

In terms of academic requirements, you must have an LLB in Scots Law from a provider accredited by the Law Society of Scotland. You must also have, or realistically expect to achieve, an honours degree - this could be your LLB if you have completed it to honours level or, if not, then it could be an Honours degree in another subject - or be able to demonstrate other evidence of strong intellectual ability, for example a post-graduate degree or under-graduate year prizes. We also require you to have completed the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice by the time of starting your traineeship.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

Here at the GLSS, we are committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce and ensuring that diversity and inclusion remains at the heart of how we operate, including how we recruit and train new lawyers.

We want our appointments to reflect the people of Scotland and welcome applications from under-represented groups. We've run "taster days" in the past, which are specifically aimed at raising awareness of our traineeships among law students who are disabled or come from minority ethnic or socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and we plan to organise similar events in future.

The government also runs a number of staff networks, including networks for under-represented groups, for colleagues to meet others and share experiences.

The practicalities

We usually take on between six and eight trainees per year, many of whom go on to secure permanent posts on completion of the traineeship.

Traineeship adverts usually go up on the Work for Scotland website at the start of the year, for posts starting in September of the following year. We want to make sure that the practicalities of the application and selection process don’t get in the way of anyone being able to show their full potential. Therefore if you require any reasonable adjustments you can speak to a dedicated member of our team about what you need to perform at your best. Any reasonable adjustments put in place throughout the application and selection process will be agreed with you in advance.