Applying for a traineeship
Traineeships are available in many solicitors' offices, ranging
in size, geographical location and type of practice. Although most
traineeships are in private practice, there are also opportunities
in organisations that employ solicitors in-house.
Finding a traineeship
There is no
foolproof way of securing a traineeship. Some firms recruit
trainees during the undergraduate degree, others do not finalise
recruitment plans until later.
The Society encourages employers to advertise on our recruitment
website, LawScotJobs where you will also find useful
information about New Lawyers Careers banner. Firms and
organisations often market themselves in universities. Others
advise diploma units and careers services of vacancies.
As some firms do not advertise training vacancies, it may be
worth sending speculative letters. The Find a
solicitor function on the Society's website helps you target
firms by type of work and geographical area.
Advice about how to prepare a CV and application is available
from the careers office of your university (even after you have
graduated).
The Society offers the following general advice:
Flexible traineeships
The Society is keen to support trainees and training firms in
the current economic climate by encouraging creative solutions for
providing traineeships.
The Society's Admissions Committee is the decision making body
in relation to variations of the usual two year duration
traineeship. The Committee will consider each application on
its own merit and would welcome
any application but you may wish
to consider one of the following options:
- Part time training - if you are granted
permission to undertake a traineeship on a part time basis, please
note that it will be extended to two years equivalent pro rata
- Shared training - for example, two firms could
consider sharing the training responsibility for a traineeship,
with the week split between both firms
- Pre-agreed assignation of training contract -
one firm carrying out 12 months of training then another taking
over the training contract for the next 12 months.
If you would like to apply for permission to undertake a
flexible option traineeship, you should do so in writing to the
Registrar's Department.
The Society will require confirmation from all parties that the
proposed arrangement is satisfactory and will, in particular,
expect the proposal to include an explanation of how the trainee
will be adequately supervised and trained.
If you would like to discuss any of the options or have any
queries, please contact Katie Wood katiewood@lawscot.org.uk
or by telephone 0131 476 8105/8200.
Entrance Certificate
An Entrance Certificate is the certificate issued by the Society
which certifies that an individual is a fit and proper person to
enter into a traineeship.
Application forms for an Entrance Certificate must be submitted
to the Society at least four weeks before the start date of
training. A copy of the form and
current guidance
notes can downloaded here. You will also be required to
complete a Disclosure Scotland application form, which can be
obtained from www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/request or registrar@lawscot.org.uk.
We suggest that you consider submitting the form and documents
by Recorded Delivery or Legal Post.
Any trainee entering into a PEAT 2 traineeship should apply for
their Entrance Certificate as above and refer to these guidance
notes which come into effect on 1 September 2011.
Together with the Entrance Certificate, the Society will send to
you a standard training contract. This must be completed by the
trainee and the firm and forwarded to the Society for registration
within three months of the start of the training contract.
If you have any queries in relation to your Entrance Certificate
or Training Contract please contact registrar@lawscot.org.uk
or telephone 0131 476 8105/8200.