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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 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
To apply for a summer placement place you will have to complete an online application form. It is a competitive process and 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, 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 crucial as a lawyer, your application form is your first chance to show us this skill and so make sure to check your application thoroughly before you submit it.
The first stage of the process is a Game-based assessment. Game-based assessments are a type of psychometric assessment. But, instead of the traditional question-based format you might expect, these use a range of interactive tasks and game-like elements instead.
You can find out more about the Arctic Shores assessment on the candidate support portal here.
The next stage will be a video interview, this gives us an opportunity to get to know you better. You will be asked a few short questions about the firm, your interests and your skills.
If you want to practice your interview skills, you can try a mock interview within our virtual insight portal. Sign up via the virtual work experience tab here.
If you are successful at the video interview stage, we will ask you to complete some online tests. The tests will assess your verbal, numerical and diagrammatic skills. We take an overall average of the results of these test, taking into account that people have different areas of strengths.
You will provided a practice test when you receive your aptitude test, but if you would like more practice you can find a range of practice tests here.
The purpose of the practice tests is to familiarise you with the format of the actual test and working to strict time limits.
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, explained in a little more detail below. It is likely that we will be hosting online assessment centres this year.
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.
