Linklaters to introduce its own advocacy qualification

TRAINING: More in-depth instruction for City firm's litigators

City firm Linklaters is planning to introduce its own advanced advo-cacy qualification following the introduction of new higher rights qualification regulations in October.

Linklaters is sending out tender documents in the next two weeks to allow training providers to pitch for the contract to train all Linklaters litigators in advocacy.

Nottingham Law School and the College of Law currently train Linklaters advocates alongside lawyers from Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith, Lovells and Norton Rose - the eight largest City firms which have joined together to create a controversial City-tailored legal practice course.

Linklaters litigators are sent on the course when they are up to two years qualified.

But head of advocacy Mark Humphries, chairman of the Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates, said the firm wants to spread the training over three years instead of two and introduce a Linklaters advanced advocacy certificate on completion.

He said: 'The new higher courts qualification regulations should be seen as a minimum standard.

What we're planning is more in-depth.'

The move to restructure advocacy training is Linklaters' latest bid to compete with the Bar for routine court work.

In March, the firm revealed it is training all its litigators in advocacy after internal audits revealed the excessive cost to clients of retaining outside counsel for routine work (see [2000] Gazette, 31 March 1).

The new training programme is expected to be launched early next year, following the 1 October implementation of new regulations governing higher rights of audience, which establish three routes to becoming solicitor-advocates: development, accreditation and exemption - making the qualification more accessible.

Anne Mizzi