Trainee recruitment is extremely important to us
Introduction
Trainee recruitment is the backbone of our business – the overwhelming majority of our partners joined the firm as trainees.
They chose us because we cover Scots Law Diploma in Professional Legal Practice fees and we provide a challenging and fun environment where hard work is rewarded.
We chose them because we take on only the top graduates and when we train the best we want to keep hold of them.
There is no typical Dickson Minto lawyer. You must have a Scottish law degree and a Scots Law Diploma in Professional Legal Practice – and of course excellent qualifications – but we're more interested in how you work. We want articulate team players with individual flair, people with an independence of mind who can think laterally to solve a client's challenges. We'll find this out at interview but we won't grill you about points of law or put you through gruelling psychometric tests. We simply want to find out if we'd enjoy working together.
We are completely focused on this area so can offer you highly specialist support during your training but it is certainly not a narrow field. It is hugely stimulating and includes private equity, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and banking, to name just a few.
Type of careers
We offer two different types of traineeships, one in corporate and one in commercial property. Both traineeships are designed to give you extensive legal experience while at the same time preparing you for a potential full-time position in our firm. Our student placements are the principal route into a traineeship with us.
Applications for 2025 corporate placements have now closed. Applications for 2026 will open in October 2025.
Our placements are open to university students in the penultimate year or later of a Scottish law degree or accelerated LLB degree. We offer a three week placement during the Summer break in our Edinburgh office (with the possibility of a trip to our London office). We take these placements seriously so won't be leaving you to do basic administrative tasks. Instead you will gain real legal experience, often leading to a full traineeship.
The website will be updated once the application process opens for 2026 student placements.
Applications for 2025 commercial property placements have now closed. Applications for 2026 will open in October 2025.
Our placements are open to university students in the penultimate year or later of a Scottish law degree or accelerated LLB degree. We offer a three week placement during the Summer break in our Edinburgh office (with the possibility of a trip to our London office). We take these placements seriously so won't be leaving you to do basic administrative tasks. Instead you will gain real legal experience, often leading to a full traineeship.
The website will be updated once the application process opens for 2026 student placements.
We will be attending the following university law fairs in September and October 2025 so please come along and see us.
University of Dundee
Tuesday 30 September
University of Aberdeen
Date to be advised
University of Glasgow
Date to be advised
University of Edinburgh
Date to be advised
Legal Cheek
Date to be advised
University of Strathclyde
Date to be advised
Our applications process for traineeships commencing in September 2026 is now closed.
Applications for traineeships commencing in September 2027 will be invited in May 2025. Our website will be updated at that time.
The traineeship experience includes placements in four seats over two years. You will experience working in a different corporate team every six months, giving you the opportunity to work on a wide range of business areas with a variety of clients.
Our applications process for traineeships commencing in September 2026 is now closed.
Applications for traineeships commencing in September 2027 will be invited in May 2025. Our website will be updated at that time.
Based in our Edinburgh office, the traineeship experience includes four seats in different commercial property teams, each lasting six months. You will gain experience in both Scottish and English property law and its intersection with corporate, banking and restructuring transactions.
From time to time we hold an Insight Evening for students who are in their second year of a Scots law Honours LLB or their first year of a Graduate LLB.
Any future date will be advertised and our website will give details on how to apply.
Salary and benefits
The experience
Our training programme is one of the most highly regarded in the sector because we believe in giving people the complete experience. That means you will be fully involved in the work of the firm from day one, becoming an integral part of our team very quickly.
We recruit a select group of trainees so you will not be treated simply as a number.
Great teamwork is essential, which is why we want to make the environment as welcoming as possible. We have an open-door policy because working with us should be friendly and fun. We will also support you every step of the way, giving you continual feedback on your performance, with extended appraisals every six months.
YOU CAN HEAR MORE ABOUT LIFE AND
DICKSON MINTO DIRECT FROM SOME OF OUR FORMER TRAINEES:
