Qualities Of Good CPD For Lawyers

Continuing professional development (CPD) is a vital part of one’s career in many professions that undergo constant changes. Engineering, medicine and geology – to name but a few fields – are all constantly being updated with new discoveries, new methods and improved knowledge.

CPD for lawyers is no different. Studying to be a lawyer doesn’t end after university. Because the law is constantly evolving and being updated, lawyers need to vigilantly remain abreast of the latest developments in order to remain competitive and competent.

In Australia, lawyers need ten CPD points law, every 12 months from April 01 to March 31. Generally speaking, one CPD point is earned for every hour spent on CPD activities.

How do you know which activities are recognised as CPD activities then? Let’s take a look at a few criteria that CPD activities should meet.

Documentable

For an activity to count towards your CPD points tally, it needs to be documentable and provable. This means that a legitimate company or person needs to be able to independently verify that you participated in a legitimate CPD activity and should be awarded points for it.

Relevant

The CPD activity – whether it’s a seminar, workshop, conference, webinar or some other type of learning experience – needs to be relevant to your profession and speciality as a lawyer. For example, you won’t gain CPD points as a lawyer for attending a seminar on dentistry!

In Australia, CPD points for lawyers are almost always earned by participating in activities related to one of the following mandatory competency areas of continued learning: practice management, professional skills, substantive law, and ethics.

Learn Something

The point of most importance is that you learn something genuinely useful and helpful in your profession as a lawyer. There’s no point in the CPD system if you’re not learning anything new and of value. The entire concept of CPD is to ensure that your knowledge and expertise do not stagnate but that they continue to grow.

As the law updates and changes, so too must your knowledge thereof. This requires being in touch with CPD training service providers who understand the needs of the legal sector and can provide materials and training that seeks to address gaps in the body of knowledge.

To get access to the best CPD for lawyers all in one convenient place, sign up with Legalwise Seminars today!