Solicitor
Advise people and organisations about the law. Help with legal processes like buying a house.
Also known as: legal counsel, solictor advocate, lawyer
About the job
What it's like
Are you a strong debater who’s passionate about getting justice for others? As a solicitor, you’ll advise people and organisations about the law. You’ll help them when they need to complete a legal process like going to court, buying a house or signing a business contract.
There are several areas of law you could work in.
Private practice. You’ll help people with all sorts of legal activities. This can include buying and selling houses, setting up a power of attorney, divorces, adoptions or even accident compensation. You could also defend a person in court, or at a tribunal.
Commercial practice. In this area, you’ll advise businesses. You’ll work on legal issues and processes related to contracts, tax, employment, mergers and company sales.
In-house. Some solicitors work as in-house lawyers for a specific company, organisation, government department or local council. For example, you could be a legal counsel for an offshore wind farm – helping the wind project secure the necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals.
Advocacy. If you do extra training, you can become a solicitor advocate. This means you’ll present cases in higher courts across Scotland and the United Kingdom.
You could also join the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. In this role, you’ll examine evidence to decide whether to bring cases to court and push for prosecution.
Legal situations can be stressful and upsetting for people, so it’s important you can be tactful and empathetic. You’ll also need to keep certain information confidential.
Your tasks might include:
advising clients about legal matters, helping them understand where they stand in the eye of the law
representing clients in court, or instructing advocates to act for your clients
drafting legal letters, contracts and documents
researching similar cases to guide your current work
preparing papers ahead of a court case
negotiating on behalf of clients to reach settlements or agreements
Hours
You'll normally work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, but longer hours are common.
In some jobs, you may be on call at weekends and bank holidays.
Sometimes, you may need to attend police stations at any time of the day or night.
Environment
You'll mainly work in an office within a law firm, in-house legal department or government agency.
If you specialise in criminal law, you'll spend a lot of your time in court and at police stations.
Travel
You may occasionally travel to visit clients or attend meetings.
Explore more information about this job
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Financial and professional services
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- lawsuits
- conveyancing
- providing legal advice
- tax planning
- estate planning
- property laws
- personal injury law
- commercial laws
- labor law
- asset protection
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- negotiating
- time management
- developing a plan
- sorting
- attention to detail
- empathising
- researching
- written communication
- verbal communication
- building relationships
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Classical Studies
English
Latin
Modern Studies
People and Society
Philosophy
Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies - RMPS
Sociology
University
Most solicitors in Scotland have a degree. There are three steps you’ll take towards qualification.
Earn an undergraduate degree. You’ll study LLB (Bachelor of Laws) in Scots Law. You’ll generally need a minimum of four Highers at A or B to get into an LLB in Scots Law.
Study a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP). The DPLP is a bridge between academic study and practical legal work. It generally takes one year to complete.
Complete a two-year traineeship with a law firm or legal organisation. Under supervision, you’ll carry out real-life legal tasks to complete. This’ll help you gain hands-on experience in different areas of law.
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in Paralegal Practice.
After completing this MA, you may be eligible to get into a Graduate Entry LLB in Scots Law. This is a two-year law degree designed for those who have already completed an undergraduate degree in another subject.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you progress to an undergraduate degree. Useful college subjects include:
English
History
Modern Studies
Politics
Economics
Languages
Pre-PEAT Training Contract
This route is extremely competitive! Instead of going to university, you’ll work in a legal environment under supervision. You’ll study for the Law Society of Scotland’s professional exams alongside your work.
Once you’ve passed these exams, you’ll be a qualified solicitor.
Are you a school pupil? The Law Society of Scotland offers events and activities for aspiring solicitors.
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