Four top firms are to begin putting their trainees on litigation ‘crash courses’ instead of the normal six-month seat, it has emerged, as UK firms increasingly move to cut back their contentious training.

Legal Week has learned that Ashurst, SJ Berwin, Trowers & Hamlins and the London arm of Shearman & Sterling have signed up deals this year with the College of Law to send some of their trainees on compressed litigation courses instead of giving them internal experience.