Ready to work out what your future could look like

Work experience opportunities.

Rubix cube graphically formed question mark
Go to section
Bright sparks PRIME Information days Useful information What others say

Our Bright Sparks work experience programme and Student Inspiration day gives school and college students the opportunity to explore careers in law and professional services. Through real-world experiences and connections with our people, you’ll discover different career pathways, build valuable workplace skills, and gain the confidence to achieve your potential.

Bright Sparks work experience programme

The programme

Spend a week in our Bristol or Edinburgh office and discover what life at Burges Salmon is really like. You’ll explore careers in law and professional services, meet people from across the firm, and learn how we create lasting impact for our clients, communities and the wider world. Designed for students in Years 10-12 in England, or S4-S6 in Scotland, Bright Sparks is an opportunity to build new skills, boost your confidence and explore future career possibilities.

Programme activities

Take part in an interactive group project where you’ll work with other students on a team challenge, developing your communication, problem-solving and presentation skills along the way.

You’ll also develop your commercial awareness, learn how to work effectively with different people and teams, and gain an insight into life in a professional environment.

Progression

Bright Sparks can help you discover career paths you may not have considered before. You’ll leave with valuable work experience, new skills to add to your CV and a better understanding of the opportunities available to you.

people talking in an office around a table

How do I apply?

Applications open 14 September 2026 and close 15 February 2027. With 42 places available across Bristol and Edinburgh, Bright Sparks is your chance to grow with us, develop new skills and discover careers that light up the world of law.

Edinburgh: 7 – 11 June 2027

Apply now

Bristol: 5 – 9 July 2027, 12 – 16 July 2027

Apply now

Please note that candidates should live within approximately an hour’s commute of the office they are applying to.

PRIME

We are a member of PRIME, an alliance of law firms and legal departments across the UK that are committed to broadening access to the legal profession amongst school-age students from less advantaged backgrounds. More details can be found on the PRIME website. 

Find out more

Student Inspiration Day

Interested in what a future career could look like in a commercial law firm? Our interactive insight day will help you explore the world of law and business, hear from professionals about their career journeys, and learn about opportunities available after school and college as well as our work experience opportunity Bright Sparks.

Not sure about careers?

Our Student Inspiration Day, available in Bristol and Edinburgh, gives students in Years 10-13 (or S4-S6 in Scotland) the chance to explore careers, meet our people and grow with us while discovering what can light up the world of law.

The day

Discover what it’s like to work in a law firm, explore career opportunities and learn about work experience, apprenticeships and graduate pathways. You’ll develop valuable skills for the future while gaining insight into the people and careers behind the work we do.

The benefits

You’ll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded students, build confidence through interactive team activities and explore future career possibilities. Our Resourcing team will also share practical tips and advice to help you take the next step towards achieving your ambitions.

Female Speaker Giving A talk On Corporate Business Conference

How do I apply?

Applications open for Bristol on the 14 September 2026 and close 4 January 2027. With 40 spaces available.

Apply now

Useful information

To make sure we are supporting people to attend our in-person events, we will reimburse travel expenses up to £100 as well as up to £80 for hotel accommodation for those travelling from further afield. Please get in touch to check that a hotel stay would be appropriate before making any bookings.

We are proud to be using the Rare Contextual Recruitment System, a way of identifying high-achieving candidates who may have been missed. The tool measures candidate’s relative disadvantage as well as performance, making it easier for us to compare applications. As part of the application form, you will be asked for your home postcode while at secondary school, details of your school, if you were eligible for free school meals, if you are a refugee or asylum seeker and whether you are the first generation of your family to go to university. There is an overview of the Rare tool within our application form.

What others say

“The information gained from today’s event has massively helped to narrow down my career options.”

“I am inspired to do an apprenticeship, and hopefully at Burges Salmon.”

“It has made me realise how much I want to become a lawyer.”

“It has made me more inspired to study law, and gave me ideas for A-levels and ways into law.”

“I have developed a much better understanding of law through the variety of activities we took part in and am very interested in the apprenticeship programme.”

01
05