Legal Traineeship 2026/27

at  Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

JOB SUMMARY

COPFS is offering a number of Legal Traineeships with anticipated start dates commencing: September 2026 and March 2027.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The COPFS Legal Traineeship offers a wide range of experience and opportunities in the public prosecution service in Scotland. You will have the chance to work at Crown Office, which is COPFS’ Headquarters. The traineeship will also involve successful candidates undertaking a range of responsibilities within the Procurator Fiscal’s offices throughout Scotland, including the preparation and presentation of cases in the Summary courts. If you successfully complete the traineeship you may enrol as a qualified solicitor in Scotland.
Trainees will have the opportunity to work in Procurator Fiscal’s offices throughout Scotland on rotation, flexibility around location is sought. You may also spend a proportion of the traineeship working within another government agency.
Your first seat will most likely be based in Edinburgh, with your following seats likely to become available in the following locations:
Edinburgh
Livingston
Dundee
Falkirk
Kirkcaldy
Perth
Aberdeen
Inverness
Dumbarton
Paisley
Kilmarnock
Glasgow
Airdrie
Hamilton
You will be asked to provide your location preferences in order of merit during the recruitment process. Please note that while efforts will be made to consider preferences, there is no guarantee that you will be given a seat in your preferred location as this is based on business need. You may be asked to relocate or travel to any of the offices listed and should be willing to work in any of the above offices.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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