We believe our people are at the heart of our success.

We seek the brightest and best legal talent to contribute to our continued success. We invest in you from the moment you join our firm, recognising your potential and empowering you to achieve your career aspirations, whether that is becoming a partner or even the next managing partner at our firm, or anything in between.

If you have the ambition and drive to work hard, then we assure you that your time with us will be a valuable investment in your future. If you’re ready to start your career with Burness Paull, we want to hear from you!

And it’s not all work and no play. We have a range of committees and a fantastic social life as well.

A traineeship with us is hard work, challenging, inspiring, and fun. We firmly believe there’s no better place to learn and develop.

So why should you choose Burness Paull? Find out what life might be like for you.

As a legal trainee at Burness Paull, you’ll embark on a two-year journey, diving into four different practice areas, allowing you to be fully immersed in the trainee experience whilst learning and working alongside some of the very best lawyers in Scotland.

We want to make sure your traineeship is as valuable and rewarding as possible, which is why we’ll take your sector preferences into account, where possible when allocating your seats.

You’ll need to be ready to hit the ground running, as from week one you will be responsible for undertaking legal research, drafting and proofreading legal documents, creating presentations, building and managing relationships with clients and much more!

Our culture fosters excellence and we want you to achieve your full potential, that’s why we offer an in-depth training programme, which includes:

• Monthly Professional Education and Training (PEAT 2) sessions
• Legal skills training and specialist divisional training
• Business Development and Legal Technology training
• Monthly divisional training sessions to keep you updated with legislation changes
• Future Forum events where you’ll hear from inspiring and entertaining guest speakers

• You’ll also be assigned a divisional manager for day-to-day support, guidance, and advice to help you get the most out of your seat
• We have a Trainee Committee, including senior partners from across the firm, our General Counsel Partner, the Head of HR and our Graduate Recruitment Manager, who are here to ensure we offer the very best trainee experience to our current and future trainees

During your traineeship, we want you to experience as much as possible. From day one, you’ll work with some of our key clients, both in Scotland, the UK, and Internationally, as well as across jurisdictions. You might even have the chance to go on secondment.

We believe that to excel in your job, you need to get involved in all aspects of company life. That’s why we offer plenty of opportunities for you to participate in committees, such as the Burness Paull Foundation, Scottish Ballet, and Street Soccer. You’ll also have the chance to attend social events and build your professional network.

A traineeship with us is hard work, challenging, inspiring and fun. We firmly believe there’s no better place to learn and develop. We hand pick our trainees intending to retain as many as possible. We want you to come here for a career, not just a job.

But don’t just take our word for it. Hear what our current trainees have to say about Life at Burness Paull. Their experiences will give you a first-hand look into what your experience could be like here.

How to apply

The best route to securing a traineeship is via our Summer Vacation Schemes. Learn more about our Summer Vacation Scheme and how to apply.

What you need
You are eligible to apply for direct traineeship opportunities if you are studying, or have completed, your DPLP. Additionally, you are eligible to apply if you have completed your three-year Pre-PEAT training contract.

Keep an eye out on our social media pages and website for any available traineeship opportunities.

Life after your traineeship.
There’s no denying that a traineeship with us is hard work and challenging but if you want to work with a top team, you must put the work in.

Newly Qualified opportunities will be available to you after completing your traineeship. we’re looking for people who want a career – not just a legal traineeship in Scotland.

We understand the transition from traineeship to Newly Qualified Solicitor (NQ) role can be daunting for every new lawyer, particularly for those unfamiliar with the nuances of professional life or who lack access to the same support systems as those from more advantaged backgrounds.

So, to help navigate and help ease these challenges, we host our NQ Roadshow - an immersive week-long event designed to dismantle barriers to applying for positions at Burness Paull. Delivered by our dedicated Graduate Recruitment team, these informal sessions aim to equip candidates with essential recruitment tools, including application support, CV writing techniques, interview strategies, and the development of transferable skills.

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