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For any legal job, you need to be careful, logical and accurate. You should have a good memory and be able to think quickly.

As of March 2024 there was 16,800 legal professionals in Scotland, down from 18,600 in December 2023 1, including over 650 accredited paralegals 2. The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service employs around 1,900 people across 50 locations in Scotland in roles that support the legal system, including court officers and administrative assistants and officers.

What areas can I work in?

Sectors in this career area include professional law, legal support services and patent work.

There is a range of jobs at different levels, from administrative posts such as court officer, through to professional roles such as solicitor or patent attorney.

Law degrees are also suitable for employment in other career areas, for example business management.

To see the routes to getting into each of these sectors, take a look at our Career Pathway.

What kind of companies can I work for?

Companies you may work for include:

What’s the job market like?

According to Prospects and AGCAS, 53.3% of law graduates from the academic year 2020/21 went on to full time employment within 15 months of graduating. 45.5% of those found employment in legal, social or welfare roles. Of those graduating, 9.8% went on to further study. A further 14.9% continued to study whilst working. 4
As of the end of 2023, there were 13,347 members of the Law Society of Scotland, an increase from 12,872 in 2022. 5
The number of trainee solicitors in Scotland as of 31 October 2023 was 757 and in 2023 there were 759 newly admitted solicitors, an increase from 622 in 2022. 5

Facts and figures

Want to find out more?

The Law Society of Scotland website has an Education and Careers section with lots of useful information.

The Scottish Paralegal Association website has information on qualifying in this area.

Sources

Annual Population Survey - Occupation by sex, employment status and full/part-time -  Scotland, NOMIS (March 2024)
Accredited Paralegal Roundup: The start of 2024 (Laura McBain, 16 May 2024), The Law Society of Scotland
Corporate Plan 2023-2026, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service
4 What do graduates do? Prospects in association with AGCAS (2023/24) 
The Law Society of Scotland website (July 2024)
The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) website (July 2024)
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) Annual Report 2022-2023 
(March 2023)
Civil Justice Statistics, Scottish Government (April 2024) (www.gov.scot/publications/civil-justice-statistics-scotland-2022-23)

Video

Courtesy of Shepwedd

Career Pathway

Law Career Pathway
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Career Area

Law

Career Sectors

Law (Professional)

Related courses by level

Degree, DipHE and CertHE

Legal Support Services

Patent Work

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Patent Attorney Patent Examiner

Related courses by level

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