Qualify with a firm consistently rated as a Top Employer
What is a legal traineeship?
Our legal traineeship is a two-year programme designed to provide you with an excellent training experience leading to your qualification as a solicitor in Scotland. You’ll be able to test your skills across four seats within the business whilst supported by a robust network. You will be given the opportunity to learn from legal experts whilst completing high quality work with responsibility and client exposure.
You can apply to complete a traineeship, as a trainee solicitor, with Weightmans in our Glasgow office.
Eligibility and requirements
To apply for our trainee solicitor role, you will be a graduate or be due to graduate before September 2026.
Prior to commencing your training, you will be required to complete the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. If you have not already completed the programme, we will fund the cost of postgraduate tuition at an agreed university of your choice.
Our trainee solicitors will develop the competencies listed below as they progress through the programme. These competencies are also used to help shape our early careers recruitment processes; we assess for potential in these areas, but we do not expect experience.
- Reasons and problem solves effectively with complex data and information and learns quickly.
- Plans, organises, prioritises and manages resources and time.
- IT literate.
- Has a strong commercial focus.
- Emotionally resilient, mature and positive when the going gets tough.
- Customer-centric — both internal and external.
- Flexible and adaptable.
- Demonstrates integrity.
- Is achievement-driven, shows initiative, takes responsibility with a ‘can do’
attitude. - Committed to continuous improvement.
- Attends to the detail and is quality minded.
- Self‐aware — knows own strengths and weaknesses.
- Demonstrates effective communication both verbally and in writing.
- Assertive and socially confident.
- Influential and persuasive.
- Team player and team builder who networks effectively.
- Diplomatic, tactful and empathic.
- Interpersonally skilled, reads people and situations and then adapts accordingly.
- Aware of and propagates a positive and professional image and persona.
Why Weightmans?
We want to help you nurture a career you love, providing a working life and environment you’ll not only enjoy but a place where you’ll love coming to work every day. We’ll challenge you to meet your potential and support you to achieve it, and then celebrate and reward your success.
In 2024, our commitment to the development and satisfaction of our employees was confirmed with the Top Employers Institute certification for the 17th year. The independent research highlighted our dedication to a better world of work through excellent HR policies and people practices.
We are truly committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion where everyone in the firm is respected and recognised on merit for the work that they do.
In our Glasgow office, we have a unique and open office space accompanied by agile working for great work-life harmony. With a focus on learning and development of our people, we are proud to have consistently high trainee solicitor retention rates.
As much as we work hard, we like to play hard too! Having an appropriate work-life balance is something we value for all our people. Our social calendar is always full, from theatre visits and quizzes to office parties. Each of our offices has an active social committee who are always looking for new members to get involved.
We pride ourselves in our CSR (corporate social responsibility) work and our Glasgow office supports Alzheimer Scotland. As part of our commitment, all staff receive two days of paid CSR leave each year, and each office has a local committee who are always looking for new members, and this may be something you would like to be a part of once you join us.
Salary and benefits
For year one as a trainee solicitor, you would receive a salary of £27,000, which will increase after 12 months to £29,000. As a Weightmans employee, you will also be entitled to our excellent staff benefits including:
- 28 days' holiday
- Healthcare cover
- Pension plan
- Travel loan scheme
- Employee care scheme
- Discounted gym membership
- Dental care scheme
What is the application process?
How to apply
Please note that applications have now closed and we are unable to accept any further applications. Applications will reopen in Autumn 2025.
To be notified when applications reopen, please fill in the expression of interest form below.
Stage 1 — Written application
At this stage, we will look at your predicted/obtained degree score and your answer to an open question. This open question is designed to check your understanding of how a law firm, and Weightmans, works. We will also assess structure, depth, punctuation and grammar. The quality of your answer will determine if you progress to the next stage, therefore we suggest you spend some time on this and proofread before submitting it. We will review all written submissions individually, along with your degree score, in a blind marking process. You must complete this initial application by Thursday 30 January 2025 at 12noon. We will not be able to accept applications after this date.
Stage 2 — HIPO-I interactive online assessment
If you are successful at the written application stage, you will then be invited to complete an online assessment called the HIPO-I. This assessment has been designed to test verbal and numerical reasoning, along with some situational judgement questions, to assess if our values align.
Stage 3 — Virtual Interview
If you are successful at the HIPO-I assessment stage, you will be invited to attend a virtual interview with a member of HR and a Partner or Principal Associate from the Firm. The interview will be conducted via Zoom and will include a presentation. Virtual interviews will take place the week commencing Monday 24 March 2025. Please note, there will be no other dates available.
Stage 4 — Assessment centre
If you are successful at the virtual interview stage, you will be invited to attend an assessment centre. This will consist of two parts: a group exercise and a written exercise. Before you attend, you will be given the opportunity to attend an online insight session which is designed to prepare you for assessment, walk you through the day and answer any questions you may have. You will also be provided with a written brief. Assessment centres will take place on the following weeks:
- Week commencing Monday 14 April 2025
- Week commencing Monday 21 April 2025
Please note, there will be no other dates available.
We welcome you to contact us if you have any queries regarding this process.
Our application process consists of 4 stages:
We welcome you to contact us if you have any queries regarding this process.
Application tips
Watch our video below where Marc Prats from our early careers team provides some hints and tips for those looking to apply for one of our early careers programmes.
Video
Read transcript
Welcome to Weightmans. We're a national law firm with over 1400 people and nine offices across the UK.
My name is Marc, and I work in the Early Careers department at Weightmans. We're one of the first law firms of our size in the UK to offer a new ground-breaking pathway into law.
Our apprenticeship Academy launched in 2020.
Now you can become a solicitor, gain a qualifying law degree, earn a good salary and work in one of the top UK law firms.
Our unique application process doesn't just give us the chance to review your application fairly, but it also gives you insights about the firm. There two areas where we are going to apply scoring in your application: your academics and an open question at the end of the form. Let's look at some top tips.
Do your research on the company and the role. How do you fit the brief?
We run open evenings every autumn, so come along and find out more about us.
Take your time with the responses and start early. Don't leave it until the last minute.
The application is open for at least two months, so we would advise you to consider your answers and take your time. Don't worry, the application can be saved, so you can continue it at a later date.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask someone you know to read through your application and give you feedback.
The most common reasons for loss of points are punctuation, spelling, and grammar. So make sure to double check your application.
The HiPo-i has been designed for Early Career's recruitment to identify potential in our candidates.
You are usually given around a week to complete the assessment, so make sure to find a quiet space to complete it. If you pass the online assessment stage, it's time to come and talk to us at an interview. We will ensure that you are ready for the day. A member of the Early Careers team will call you to that you're prepared.
At your interview, you will meet with two people: a member of HR and the lawyer from the firm so that we can get to know you better.
We're a friendly team and want the best for you, so we'll try our best to make you feel at ease.
Once past the interview stage, you will receive an invite to our assessment day. The assessment day is held at a Weightmans office. It includes group activities and other tasks designed to see how you respond to practical challenges, for you to show us your personality, and your problem solving skills.
It is also a good chance for you to decide if Weightmans is a good fit for you.
If you're a successful applicant, the support does not stop there.
During our week long induction in Liverpool, you will learn more about the role and you'll get to meet other apprentices.
We really look forward to meeting you all at Weightmans and we want to wish you the best of luck during your application process.
If you would like more information, please contact us at earlycareers@weightmans.com.
We welcome you to contact us if you have any queries regarding this process.
Do you have any further queries?
Please contact our graduate recruitment team on +44 (0)345 073 9900, earlycareers@weightmans.com or by following us on Instagram @weightmansearlycareers.