Eligibility

We welcome applications for our summer vacation scheme from anyone who is on track to receive a 2.1 or higher in Scots Law or who is studying the Accelerated LLB or Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at any university.

If you don’t meet this criteria and you have mitigating circumstances, then you will have the opportunity to explain this in your application and we will take this into account.

The application process

Watch the step-by-step guide to our application process.

If you have any questions before you start about your eligibility or any stage of process just get in touch with our Graduate Recruitment team who will be happy to help you.

We use a contextual recruitment system from Rare throughout our application and selection process. This helps us to better understand your achievements in the context of your background.

We are committed to making our recruitment processes as inclusive as we can. We are able to make reasonable adjustments to our application and selection process to make sure you are able to do your best. It can be difficult to talk about a disability or long term health condition but our Graduate Recruitment team are here to support you – please get in touch to discuss what we can do for you.

Email us at gradrecruitment@burnesspaull.com

Breakdown of the application process

Your application

To apply for a summer placement place you will have to complete an online application form. It is a competitive process, so use your application form as your opportunity to stand out from other candidates and show us your potential.

We’re looking for ambitious people who are attracted to our hard-working team culture and who have a willingness to learn and develop. Take some time to get to know the firm, and the work we do, and think about why we are the right firm for you.

We don't require you to have legal work experience but we are looking for you to demonstrate that you have the skills and qualities that it takes to have a career in commercial law. You should use the experiences you have as examples of why you think you are suited to the career and what attracts you to pursuing this at Burness Paull.

We also want to get to know you, what motivates you, and what you are passionate about. Let us know about what you like to do outside of your studies and work.

Attention to detail is a crucial skill for lawyers. Your application form is your first chance to show us this skill so make sure to check your application thoroughly before you submit it.

GenAI tools, like Chat GPT, are revolutionising how we approach tasks. As a future-focused employer, we believe in embracing these tools. During the application process, we encourage candidates to use GenAI to refine and articulate ideas. It is a tool that should be used to help structure your thoughts and improve clarity, not to replace your unique voice and experiences.

When using ChatGPT make sure you are not copying and pasting what it tells you to write. We advise you not to rely on the ‘automated personalisation’ that some new AI tools offer as you may risk submitting a generic application that looks the same as everyone else’s. This will not help you stand out from the crowd.

Behavioural testing

For the first stage of our process we use the Arctic Shores task-based assessment. Arctic Shores may be different from other assessments completed in the past. It is based on decades of neuroscience research and does not contain questions. Instead, Arctic Shores uses a series of engaging and intuitive task-based behavioural assessments.

Arctic Shores is designed to measure your unique behaviour and skill indicators so that we can see your potential to grow with Burness Paull and be successful during your summer vacation scheme. It allows us to see beyond your CV and current experience, giving every candidate a fair and consistent chance to stand out.

To take the assessment no preparation is required. We just ask that you approach the assessment in a way that feels more natural to you. Only the most essential behaviours for the role will be considered before we get back to you. There is no time limit for you to complete the whole assessment but we recommend that you set aside around 35 – 60 minutes to complete it.

As a firm, we use Arctic Shores to support our goal of creating diverse and dynamic teams. If you require reasonable adjustments please contact the Graduate Recruitment Team. It is important that we know this information before you start the assessment to allow us to apply the correct adjustments. Unfortunately, we are not able to apply them after the test is complete.

After completing the assessment, each candidate will receive an in-detailed feedback report that gives informative insights about your unique psychological characteristics.

If you would like to find out more about Arctic Shores and the assessment you can read their FAQ’s here.

Assessment centre

If you are successful after testing, we will invite you to an assessment centre. The prospect can be daunting but we will try our best to make you comfortable so we see the best you.  The day is made up of a few different elements

Interview - you will have an interview with a partner and a member of the HR team. The interview will last around an hour and a half and will be split into two parts;

• The case study – we will ask you to read a short case study and prepare a research note on the topic, which you will discuss with us in the interview. You will be given the case ahead of the assessment centre so you have time to research and prepare your answer. We are looking to see how you research, how you write and how you present your ideas. We will also be looking to see how you engage in a discussion about the topic – be prepared to be challenged on your views. We aren’t trying to trick you, we just want to see how your mind works.
• The application and competency discussion – the other part of the interview will be our chance to find out more about you and your chance to find out more about us. We will ask you questions about your studies and experiences so far so we can get a better sense of your motivations, skills and your personality. You will also have the chance to ask us some questions, so have a think about what you would like to know.

We try to make our hiring decisions as quick as we can and we will call you as soon as possible to let you know the outcome of your assessment centre. We will give feedback to everyone who attends one of our assessment centres.

Assessment centres are held in person at our offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow.

After the assessment centre

We try to make our hiring decisions as quick as we can and we will call you as soon as possible to let you know the outcome of your assessment centre. We will give feedback to everyone who attends one of our assessment centres.

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