Not just because everyone suddenly has another grievance to deal with.
There is genuine demand in Edinburgh for lawyers who can handle a proper mix of advisory work, tribunal litigation and the increasingly complicated employment issues that sit behind major businesses.
I’m looking to speak with Employment Solicitors from around 1 years PQE upwards who want to keep developing within a genuinely strong national practice.
The work is broad.
Employment Tribunal litigation.
Workplace investigations.
Restructuring and workforce change.
Day-to-day advisory work for substantial employers.
Corporate support.
Global mobility.
The sort of employment practice where you are not simply answering another HR query before lunch and moving onto the next one.
There is a particular appetite for lawyers who have already handled respondent-side tribunal work.
That said, I would not rule out someone from a claimant background if the underlying experience is strong and the move makes sense.
The bigger question is what sort of employment lawyer you want to become.
At 2, 3, 4 or 5 years PQE, you should be starting to develop some real judgement.
Not simply knowing the law.
Knowing which battles are worth fighting.
Understanding what the client is actually trying to achieve.
Knowing when technically correct advice is commercially useless.
And becoming confident enough to give clients a view rather than simply a list of options.
That is the stage where the team around you starts to matter enormously.
There is currently growth in Edinburgh employment, and some firms are building proper Scottish capability rather than treating Edinburgh as an outpost of a larger English team.
For the right solicitor, that creates a very good opportunity to combine national-level work with a career firmly based in Scotland.
If you are an Employment Solicitor in Edinburgh from around 1 year PQE upwards and would like a confidential conversation about the market, contact Neil Campbell at QED Legal.
I’ll give you a straightforward view of the opportunities, where your experience could fit and whether there is anything genuinely worth exploring.
