College battles with Nottingham for advocacy contracts.The College of Law has beaten off stiff competition from Nottingham Law School to win exclusive advocacy training contracts with City firms Clifford Chance and Herbert Smith.

The firms picked the College of Law to be their exclusive higher rights advocacy training provider following Linklaters selection of Nottingham last week (see [2000] Gazette, 23 November, 5).Nottingham last week also made a deal with Freshfields.

It is understood the firm made its choice without putting the contract out to tender.The college's course extends to senior fee-earners and partners who will train to become solicitor-advocates under the accreditation route.

The college's professional development director David Jabbari said: 'Trial advocacy skills are part of a much wider picture of advanced dispute resolution training which will equip firms to develop more competitive and flexible litigation practices.

The market has moved on from the exclusive focus on trial advocacy.'Anne Mizzi