Olivia Tully
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
Both teams made such an effort to keep me involved and were more than happy to answer any questions I had. My time at the firm was so positive and confirmed all the beliefs I had when making the application that it was a place where I really wanted to work.
I am currently in my fourth year of the Scots Law LLB at the University of Glasgow.
I undertook the summer vacation scheme at Burness Paull’s Glasgow office last July and I will start my traineeship at the firm in 2026.
University has been an amazing experience overall, and I can’t believe I’m already in my final year. Many of my university experiences helped me when I was writing my application for Burness Paull’s summer vacation scheme. I referred to legal interests I had picked up in classes such as intellectual property law and contract law and explained how my position as Class Representative helped me build communication, organisation, and negotiation skills. My participation in legal and recreational societies and on committees helped me demonstrate my ability to work in team dynamics, communicate effectively, and manage my time, as I had to juggle extracurriculars alongside my studies. Outside of university, I also referred to interests I had gained by maintaining my commercial awareness, such as current immigration issues frequently covered by the media. As a result of this, I contacted and secured work experience with an Immigration Judge at the Glasgow Tribunals. I also explained my personal interests in charity work and sustainability in my application, as demonstrated by volunteering roles I had undertaken, both of which Burness Paull are similarly committed to. It’s important to remember that many skills are transferable, so not all your activities have to be legal in nature. The structure of the application and my subsequent interviews allowed me to talk about a variety of subjects at length, so I felt I could present myself and my personality honestly – I was not just reduced to my grades.
On my vacation scheme, I was placed in the Technology & Commercial and Corporate Finance teams. For my time in T&C, having already done intellectual property law in my degree massively helped me with my work relating to concepts such as trademarks and copyright. My understanding of contract and commercial law, having taken both these modules in my degree, meant I could apply abstract concepts I had learnt during law school to real, practical work. This was immensely satisfying and helped build my confidence. Though I could apply some knowledge I had already picked up during my degree, most of what I learned was brand new information. This was also true for Corporate Finance, which I had no prior knowledge of. Everyone on the team helped me grasp work I found challenging, and I was exposed to many tasks such as drafting, editing documents, and contacting clients. Both teams made such an effort to keep me involved and were more than happy to answer any questions I had. My time at the firm was so positive and confirmed all the beliefs I had when making the application that it was a place where I really wanted to work. All the skills I developed on the vacation scheme will no doubt be invaluable as I continue my fourth year and eventually start my diploma.
I was gutted when the vacation scheme ended, so I am grateful I get to maintain a connection with Burness Paull as a Brand Ambassador as my studies continue. I have really enjoyed helping students prepare for their applications, whether it be through creating content on social media or meeting and talking in person. The role also helps me maintain and further develop skills such as time management, creativity, and effective communication, all of which are integral to my future legal career.
Lucy Gardiner
UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
I was attracted to Burness Paull due to their personable and high performing ethos, as my background in customer service taught me how important being personable is to my future career.
I began my law degree in 2021 studying Law with English Law at the University of Aberdeen.
I had kept my mind open to what kind of law I wanted to pursue as I completed my ordinary level studies, but settled on commercial law as I approached application season during my third year. I was successful in securing a summer scheme with Burness Paull, which led on to a training contract offer for 2026 in the Glasgow office.
Whilst university is fantastic for creating your base understanding of law and its intricacies, what really prepared me for a career in law was the part-time work I undertook during my studies. I worked (and still work!) as a checkout customer services assistant at my local Sainsbury’s. I didn’t have any legal work experience prior to my summer scheme, which although is also great, regular work experience is of equal value. I learned to strengthen my communication skills, which benefits me in an office and client environment, as well as my problem-solving skills which every future lawyer needs!
I was attracted to Burness Paull due to their personable and high performing ethos, as my background in customer service taught me how important being personable is to my future career. During my summer scheme, I sat in seats in Dispute Resolution and Property. These were inherently different, one being more litigious and the latter more transactional, but this gave me a fantastic overall perspective on the work Burness Paull does. It also let me experience different types of law and learn more about myself and my interests. My seat in DR fostered my interests in Intellectual Property which I am now pursuing at honours level, and my property seat strengthened my skills in analysis and attention to detail often searching through leases which were unfamiliar to me at the time. The work I got to complete during the month was massively valuable, and everyone at the firm made a strong effort to include and encourage me, highlighting the personable ethos Burness Paull encourages.
Following the summer scheme and traineeship offer, I was also successful in becoming a Brand Ambassador for Burness Paull at my University. This is wonderful as I get to share the fantastic experience I had, and also offer the help and encouragement that previous brand ambassadors provided for me during my application process.
Follow me on Instagram for top tips on securing a summer vacation scheme at Burness Paull.
Maddie Marinko
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Environmental/energy law has always been a passion of mine, and with the transition to renewables, and the ever-growing energy demands of economic activity, I feel that studying this elective will help me understand our role as lawyers in this market.
Following on from my blog post last year (which you can read here) I have since graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a first-class LLB. Graduation was a real pinch-me moment.
All my hard work had paid off and I had such a lovely day celebrating the achievements of all of my friends and peers. If you are reading this blog in the midst of studying, keep going and remember how far you have come throughout your degree. You are smashing it, and it will all be worth it!
This year I started the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. As much as I would have loved to go straight into my traineeship at Burness Paull, the diploma gives you invaluable insight into what it is like to practice law and it helps you to become a day-one trainee. So far, I have been part of the Free Legal Advice Clinic, and I have had experience interviewing and advising real clients. It is a very rewarding experience to be able to apply the legal knowledge that you have learnt on your LLB to real life situations in order to help people. Another rewarding element this year has been my new tutoring role. I have been teaching first-year LLB students and have enjoyed introducing students to a brand new subject and watching their legal knowledge and skills develop as the semester goes on. I hope to continue teaching law throughout my career and giving back to the next generation of lawyers.
I have recently put down my preferences for the elective courses that you get to take for the diploma. With my traineeship in mind, I am hoping to take commercially focussed courses and so I have chosen Banking and Corporate Finance. The more law that I do, the more I find myself steering towards transactional work that serves a commercial purpose. Environmental/energy law has always been a passion of mine, and with the transition to renewables, and the ever-growing energy demands of economic activity, I feel that studying this elective will help me understand our role as lawyers in this market. I have also developed an interest in development and construction law. Having written my dissertation last year on planning law, and having thoroughly enjoyed my experience working in the Real Estate team at Burness Paull, I am hoping to expand my knowledge in this area, and take Construction Law as an elective. At the moment, I have my eyes on a seat in the Construction and Projects team when I start at the firm. Although I am keeping an open mind at this stage.
It is a privilege to continue my role as a brand ambassador this year, and to be able to share my experiences of the firm with prospective applicants. It’s enriching to connect with talented peers who share your passion for the law. I may even be lucky enough to work with them one day!
Follow me on Instagram for top tips on securing a summer vacation scheme at Burness Paull.
Jody Stewart
ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITY
Highlighted throughout their process, it was clear that the firm highly valued people: both clients and their team. Their ethos “human and high-performing” perfectly captured my natural approach to life.
When I first considered my career path, law had always been of interest.
However, coming from a small town with scarce opportunities in the legal sector, I was unsure how to go about taking those first steps towards my desired future. After some brief research at school, I had sussed out the conventional route into a career in law: the LLB, a diploma in law, and a traineeship with a law firm. At the ripe age of seventeen, I did not feel ready to embark on this journey quite yet. Instead, I decided to take some time out of education during which I worked full time across various job sectors to gain some life experience with the hope to save up for travelling before committing to my legal journey.
However, this did not go to plan. What was meant to be a year of exploration quickly turned into months of isolation and uncertainty when the pandemic and lockdown came so unexpectedly. Having all this time on my hands did however allow me to research universities and write my personal statement for applications. I successfully secured a spot to study the LLB Scots Law at Aberdeen University and was both nervous and excited to begin working towards my future.
University was a different experience than I had imagined it would be. Freshers’ week turned into virtual nights out on Zoom, and meeting my classmates and lecturers meant seeing everyone from the shoulders up, knowing full well they were probably (also) still wearing their pyjama bottoms, despite their presentable tops!
Irrespective of not having the typical university experience, I thoroughly enjoyed my LLB because it offered such a fantastic blend of history, legal theory, and practical insight. It wasn’t just about learning the rules and regulations, but also understanding the unique Scottish legal system rooted in Scotland’s distinct culture and history.
During my third year of university, I knew I had to begin looking at how to proceed onto the next steps of my journey. This involved looking into how to secure a traineeship. I attended my university law fair and spoke to many firms who explained their own process. Some had direct routes into traineeships via their vacation scheme (summer internship) and others hired once the LLB was completed. Hearing this, it highlighted to me that securing a traineeship was going to be a competitive process. It was daunting hearing from current trainees the process of endless applications, interviews, assessment centres, and rejections.
However, I persevered and narrowed it down to the firms whose values and culture aligned with my own. Standing out from this was Burness Paull and so I invested my time and effort into their application process. Although the five-stage process was unnerving, each stage had a fun and creative element to it. Who would have thought I would be playing games which tested my behavioural traits! Highlighted throughout their process, it was clear that the firm highly valued people: both clients and their team. Their ethos “human and high-performing” perfectly captured my natural approach to life.
The knowledge I gained through my LLB paired with my skills through working and extracurriculars such as my interest in music and fitness definitely appeared to have boosted my application. It gave me a solid foundation to discuss why I wanted to join Burness Paull and participate in their vacation scheme and what contributions I could make to the firm.
I was thrilled to have been accepted onto their vacation scheme for Summer 2023. This involved a four-week placement at Burness Paull’s Aberdeen office. I had the privilege of spending a week in the Glasgow office as well as having my introduction and farewell at the Edinburgh office. It was great meeting so many people in the Burness Paull team where the supportive environment was universal across all offices.
During my internship, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks with the Private Client team and two weeks with the Energy team, gaining hands-on experience on real-life cases. It was incredibly rewarding to apply the knowledge I had acquired during my degree in a practical setting. Both teams were fantastic, ensuring I had a range of tasks and responsibilities – from drafting client emails to conducting internal research projects. Being actively involved in these tasks gave me a real sense of accomplishment and made me feel as though I was genuinely contributing to the cases.
From here, I successfully secured a traineeship with the firm to commence in September 2025. I am currently undertaking my Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at Robert Gordon University (a change of Aberdonian scenery). Despite the two-year interim between completing my internship and commencing my traineeship, I continue to be actively involved with the firm as their Brand Ambassador at RGU. This role allows me to share my experience with other students, provide advice and support to prospective solicitors, and share my knowledge of Burness Paull’s cultures and values. I see this as a dual role which both supports others but also deepens my understand of the firm and provides me with valuable networking opportunities to expand my legal platform. I am enjoying supporting students and providing them with information and advice this academic year and I am looking forward to beginning my traineeship next September!
Isla Kasapidis
STRATHCLYDE UNIVERSITY
...my experience at Burness Paull exceeded all of my expectations. The environment was incredibly welcoming, supportive, and filled with people who were passionate about their work.
From a young age, I’ve always found the law fascinating.
Studying it at university has deepened my passion for the field, and my experiences so far have helped me grow both professionally and personally. When I started my LLB at Strathclyde University, I knew I wanted to get involved with the law beyond the classroom, so I joined the university’s Law Clinic. This gave me my first taste of legal practice and confirmed that a career in law was the right path for me.
I was on a study abroad programme in Copenhagen when I started applying for summer vacation schemes. At first, I thought I would need to fit into a specific "lawyer box" to stand out as a candidate—especially since my legal experience was limited to the Law Clinic. However, my experience applying to Burness Paull completely shifted my perspective, and I quickly learned that your personality and unique background can often be just as important as your legal abilities.
Before starting my summer vacation scheme, I was excited to learn what working at a large commercial law firm would actually be like, and my experience at Burness Paull exceeded all of my expectations. The environment was incredibly welcoming, supportive, and filled with people who were passionate about their work. I was able to submit preferences for the departments I wanted to spend time in, and I ended up with one of my top choices - Technology & Commercial - along with Planning, which was an area I wasn’t initially familiar with but ended up enjoying just as much.
Both departments were quite different in the nature of their work, which gave me a great opportunity to experience the diversity within the legal profession, and helped me narrow down my areas of interest for my future career. I spent two weeks in each department, working on interesting projects for clients, and applying the legal skills I’d learned at university in a practical setting. I was supported throughout by my trainee buddy and supervisor, who were always on hand to answer questions and show me the ropes.
Since completing the vacation scheme, I’ve started my fourth year at Strathclyde and have also taken on the role of Brand Ambassador for Burness Paull. This has been such a rewarding experience, as I’ve been able to share my journey with my peers and offer advice to those who are now going through the application process themselves. I know how daunting it can be to apply for vacation schemes, so it’s been great to be able to share my tips and tricks with others and hopefully make the process feel a little less overwhelming.
Looking back, my time at Burness Paull not only gave me valuable legal experience but also helped me develop my confidence and communication skills. It reassured me that you don’t have to change who you are to succeed in a corporate law firm—you just need to be yourself.
