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CMS Scotland Training Contract

Applications close 10 January 2027. Pays £33,000 a year in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

No published policyScotland Training Contract

Unconfirmed. CMS publishes no sponsorship policy for its scotland training contract, so we cannot state a firm answer. The programme page has no statement on right to work or visa sponsorship for international candidates.

Sponsors grads?
Not published
Pay vs threshold
Below the threshold
Opportunity
training contract
Pay
£33,000 first year, £35,000 second year, £68,000 newly qualified
2027 cycle
Applications open now and close 10 January 2027
Confidence
high

CMS Scotland Training Contract: at a glance

CMS offers a direct training contract in Scotland, preceded by CMS Academy, a two-week pre-joining programme covering the business of law with time in the trainee's chosen office. Trainees typically complete four six-month seats over two years across different practice groups, covering at least three distinct areas of law, with a seat supervisor and possible client, international or inter-office secondments. CMS sponsors the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP) and pays a maintenance grant before the training contract starts. Source

Duration
2 years“you’ll typically complete four six-month seats over two years”Source
Who can apply
Scots Law LLB students in their penultimate or final year, or accelerated Scots Law LLB students in their first or second yearSource
Locations
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, GlasgowSource
Starting pay
£33,000 (first-year trainee), £35,000 (second-year trainee), £68,000 (newly qualified)Source
Degree requirement
Scots Law LLB“Scots Law LLB students in their penultimate or final year of study”Source

How CMS recruits

Scotland direct training contract (dates not stated on page). 4 stages, from CMS's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where CMS names them.

  1. Online application form

    Application form

    Online form on education, experience and motivation for CMS.

    “Tell us about your education, experience and motivation for applying to CMS.”
    Source

  2. Critical thinking test

    Online tests

    Short online critical thinking test; practice test available. Provider not named.

    “A short online test focused on analytical and problem solving skills. No legal knowledge is required, and a practice test is available.”
    Source

  3. Video interview

    Recorded video interview

    15-minute one-way video interview answering pre-recorded questions. Platform not named.

    • about 15 minutes
    • pre-recorded questions
    “A 15-minute interview, where you will be asked to answer a series of pre-recorded questions.”
    SourceHow to prepare for a one-way video interview

  4. Assessment day

    Assessment centre

    In-person half-day assessment at a CMS office with exercises on motivation, judgement and collaboration. Exercises not itemised.

    “An in-person half day at one of our offices, including exercises designed to explore your motivation, judgement, collaboration and potential.”
    Source

Every programme and stage at CMS

“Applications open 24 September 2026”
CMS, from its own careers pages
The catch: The £33,000 first year salary sits below the general Skilled Worker visa salary threshold, which matters if a candidate would need sponsorship and the firm applies no new entrant discount.
CMS early careersVerify on gov.ukSee the licence record

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What CMS publishes about this programme

Checked against CMS's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: not published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at CMS

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does CMS sponsor visas for its scotland training contract?

Unconfirmed. CMS publishes no sponsorship policy for its scotland training contract, so we cannot state a firm answer. CMS runs a dedicated Scotland training contract programme across Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, open to graduates, undergraduates, postgraduates and career changers from law or non-law backgrounds. Applications open 24 September 2026. First year trainees are paid £33,000, rising to £35,000 in year two and £68,000 on qualification. The programme page has no statement on right to work or visa sponsorship for international candidates.

What is the CMS scotland training contract?

CMS offers a direct training contract in Scotland, preceded by CMS Academy, a two-week pre-joining programme covering the business of law with time in the trainee's chosen office. Trainees typically complete four six-month seats over two years across different practice groups, covering at least three distinct areas of law, with a seat supervisor and possible client, international or inter-office secondments. CMS sponsors the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP) and pays a maintenance grant before the training contract starts.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme sits below the Skilled Worker salary threshold, which is itself a reason sponsorship is not possible.

What is the catch international students miss with CMS?

The £33,000 first year salary sits below the general Skilled Worker visa salary threshold, which matters if a candidate would need sponsorship and the firm applies no new entrant discount.

When do applications open for the CMS scotland training contract?

Applications open now and close 10 January 2027. Checked on 2026-10-01 against CMS's own site.

How long is the CMS scotland training contract?

2 years, according to CMS's own careers information.

Who can apply for the CMS scotland training contract?

Scots Law LLB students in their penultimate or final year, or accelerated Scots Law LLB students in their first or second year, according to CMS's own careers information.

Where is the CMS scotland training contract based?

Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, according to CMS's own careers information.

What does the CMS scotland training contract pay?

£33,000 (first-year trainee), £35,000 (second-year trainee), £68,000 (newly qualified), according to CMS's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the CMS scotland training contract?

Scots Law LLB, according to CMS's own careers information.

How should I confirm CMS's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on CMS's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.