Trainee Solicitor

Job Description

Contract Type: Fixed Term 2 Years

Location: Dumfries

Salary Range: Year 1: £32,925 Year 2: £35,853 

Hours per week: 36 

Weeks per year: 52 

Closing date: 06/11/2026

Interviews will take place the week commencing 23 November 2026

Traineeship Commences: 11 January 2026

Dumfries and Galloway Council is delighted to be recruiting a Trainee Solicitorto start in January 2027.

Working in-house for a local authority offers a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience across a broad range of legal disciplines in a political environment, reflecting the diverse services delivered by the Council.  During the two-year traineeship, the successful candidate will work within both ourCourt and Licensing Team, and our Commercial Planning and Property Team, working on a wide variety of legal matters and developing the skills and professional experience required to qualify as a solicitor.

During your traineeship, you will develop strong working relationships withelected members and clients and colleagues across a range of Council services that deliver key functions to the wider community, includingeducation, social work, procurement, property, planning, economy,environmental services, roads and infrastructure. Your work and advice will contribute to the delivery of the Council’s wider objectives. You will gain experience in areas including litigation, education, social work, employment,commercial transactions and disputes, information governance, planning, property transactions and licensing, as well as providing strong support to our elections team.  This will provide a strong foundation for your future career as a solicitor whether in a public or private sector setting.

Throughout your traineeship, you will undertake meaningful and varied legal work, taking increasing responsibility for your own workload while alwaysreceiving appropriate supervision, support and guidance, all with a view to you achieving the PEAT 2 outcomes.

The successful candidate will be able to work collaboratively as part of a team, will be able to manage a varied workload, and will be clear and effective communicators. 

Candidates successful in securing an interview should note that we employ a competency-based framework. We will expect responses to follow the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) methodology to demonstrate your relevant skills and experience.

The successful post holder must: 

• Hold a degree preferably in Scots Law, or equivalent, and Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.  

Requirements

• Have a good knowledge of the broad principles of Scots Law.
• Have strong personal commitment to the delivery of first-class services.
• Be able to build and sustain positive working relationships with all stakeholders. 
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Be ambitious, energetic and highly motivated. 
• Be enthusiastic and self-disciplined, exhibiting good personal organisation and time management. 
• Have good listening skills and ability to deliver outcome/client focussed service.
• Be visible, approachable, and accessible.
• Have high standards of both personal and professional ethics, integrity, and credibility.
• Be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses and committed to addressing areas of development.
• Be calm under pressure, respond constructively to criticism with high levels of resilience. 
• Have strong IT skills.
• Have strong research skills.
• Be willing to learn and be part of a team.
• Be capable of working collaboratively with other Council services / officers to delivery Council priorities. 

Some knowledge/experience of the following is desirable:

• Some experience of working in a legal environment.
• Some experience of working in a public sector environment.
• Some experience of working with people in a team environment

For further information please contact:

Ben Thom

Principal Solicitor - Court and Licensing 

Telephone: 07407827443

Email: Ben.Thom@dumgal.gov.uk

or 

Laura Whitelaw

Principal Solicitor - Commercial, Planning and Property

Telephone: 07824545252

Email: Laura.Whitelaw@dumgal.gov.uk