Summer Internship Programme 2026 - Legal

Ready to own your future? At Scottish Water, our Summer Internship Programme empowers you to gain hands-on experience, tackle real challenges, and contribute to shaping Scotland’s future. This is more than just a summer job – it’s an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. As part of our team, you’ll play a key role in delivering essential services and infrastructure that help Scotland flourish every day.

You’ll be joining us at a fascinating time, as we transform into a more agile, innovative organisation that delivers outstanding service, provides great value for money, and works in an environmentally sustainable way that goes beyond Net Zero. Graduating in 2027? Kickstart your career with a 12-week summer placement and start building your future today.

What you’ll do

From Shetland to Stranraer, our operations span the length and breadth of Scotland, creating a broad mix of commercial, property and land law, litigation, environmental and regulatory work for our in-house Legal team. We provide practical legal advice and a corporate secretarial service for the whole of Scottish Water and work closely with colleagues across the business, supported by a panel of external law firms. Our aim is to provide a trusted and valued legal service for Scottish Water to support the organisation in the achievement of our goals and strategic ambitions.

Each year, we handle around 800 requests for legal advice across a wide variety of topics. Previous summer students have contributed to research on unusual legal questions, supported our Legal Horizon Scanning, and helped develop tools and materials that improve how we deliver our services. Their work has had real impact and continues to shape our day-to-day operations.

We’re also delivering several improvement projects using Lean principles, and as an intern you’ll be able to get involved directly. You’ll gain hands-on experience by attending meetings, observing how in-house lawyers work with different business areas, and contributing to live projects where your input genuinely matters. You’ll join a supportive and collaborative team of lawyers working across a range of legal disciplines. We are committed to diversity, inclusion and creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and able to contribute. We’ll tailor your placement to reflect your interests and career goals, giving you meaningful experience to help you take the next step in your legal journey.

This is a paid summer internship, with an hourly rate of £13.45, aligned with the Real Living Wage. The role is typically full-time (35 hours per week), though we’re open to discussing flexible working patterns where possible. For a 35-hour week, the equivalent annual salary would be approximately £24,574, pro-rated for the length of the internship.

What you’ll need

You’ll be in the third year of your degree or later – this could include your final year, a Masters, or preparing to embark on the Diploma in Legal Practice - and on course for at least a 2:2 in Law or a relevant discipline. You’ll take an interest in what we do at Scottish Water and be a self-starter with strong people skills. You’ll also need to be available for the full 12-week placement, starting in June. Most of all, you’ll bring curiosity, enthusiasm, and a real desire to learn – along with the motivation to apply what you’re studying in a practical, real-world environment.

Finally, you’ll need to live within commuting distance of our offices at The Bridge (Stepps), Fairmilehead (Edinburgh) or Forth House (Stirling) as this role will be aligned to one of our key office locations.

In terms of essential requirements? That’s it. But here’s the thing…

We receive thousands of applications for our internship roles each year. So what helps candidates stand out? Here are a few things we love to see:

• CVs that tell us more than just your grades. Show us what you’ve learned, what interests you, and what motivates you.
• Cover letters that explain why Scottish Water – and why this particular internship appeals to you.
• Applications that demonstrate our values: Bold, Responsible, Inspiring and Caring.

Looking out for you

While the work we do is important, it’s not the only thing that matters. That’s why we support a healthy work-life balance and flexible ways of working where possible. You’ll gain meaningful experience, build your professional network, and get a real feel for what a future career at Scottish Water could look like – all while being supported by experienced colleagues who want you to succeed.

What happens next?

The closing date for applications is Sunday 8th February. Please submit your CV and a cover letter (maximum 500 words) as part of your application. If shortlisted, final interviews will take place during February 23rd to March 13th and yes, you’ll get the chance to ask us plenty of questions too. If you accept a place on the programme, you’ll complete pre-employment screening during the Spring, including a criminal record check. All interns will start together in June for a 12-week Summer Internship, finishing at the end of August. You’ll take part in an induction, meet fellow interns and colleagues, learn about the organisation, visit operational sites, and hopefully have a lot of fun along the way.