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CPD Requirements

 

Continuing Professional Development requirements for Local Legal Practitioners in Victoria as required by the Law Institute Continuing Professional Development Rules 2008 and the Continuing Professional Development Rules 2008 (‘the Rules’)

 

Local legal practitioners, unless exempted in whole or in part, are required to complete at least ten (10) Continuing Professional Development (‘CPD’) units during a CPD year (1 April – 31 March)

 

A CPD unit means one hour of CPD activity, subject to the Rules.

 

Practitioners must complete at least one (1) CPD unit in each CPD year in the following fields:

 

  1. Ethics and Professional Responsibility

 

  1. Professional Skills

 

  1. Substantive Law

 

  1. Practice Management and Business Skills

 

CPD activities for practitioners

 

Acceptable CPD activities for practitioners include:

 

  • Attendance at seminars, workshops, lectures, conferences and discussion groups;
  • Multimedia, web based program, audio/video material, online program and any other educational activity howsoever it may be delivered from time to time;
  • Research, preparation or editing of an article published in a legal publication or a legal article in a non legal publication, subject to the Rules;
  • Research, preparation or editing of published Law Reports or other legal services, subject to the Rules;
  • Use of audio or video material by a practitioner for private study;
  • Membership and attendance at meetings of a committee, taskforce or Section of LIV, the Law Council of Australia, or a practice section committee of a professional association or other committees, subject to the Rules;
  • Successful completion of the specialist accreditation assessment process;
  • Postgraduate studies relevant to a practitioner’s practice needs;
  • .

 

The Rules require that the CPD activity must seek to extend the practitioner’s knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to their practice needs, be conducted by persons qualified by practical or academic experience in the subject covered and must be of significant intellectual or practical content dealing primarily with matters related to the practitioners practice of law.

 

Practitioners may not claim in any CPD year more than 6 CPD units per day of attendance at a CPD activity.  There are also restrictions on the number of CPD units that can be acquired through some of the above CPD activities or combinations of the above activities.  Practitioners should refer to the Rules for more information on the restrictions.

 

There are limits on CPD units claimed for private study of audio or video material.

 

Educational programs prior to acquiring a practising certificate are NOT CPD activities

 

To acquire CPD units a person must have a practising certificate, therefore attending a practical training course before admission or completing articles of clerkship or Traineeship do not count towards acquisition of CPD units.

 

Exemptions from CPD requirements

 

Refer to the Rules for an explanation of CPD requirements.

 

Commencing or recommencing practice on or after the start of a CPD year

 

Refer to the Rules for an explanation of CPD requirements.

 

Practitioners Returning to Practice

 

Refer to the Rules for an explanation of CPD requirements.

 

Record keeping

 

Practitioners must maintain records and evidence of CPD activities. Refer to the Rules for an explanation of the requirements.

 

Non Compliance

 

Refer to the Rules for an explanation of CPD requirements.

 

Further Information

 

Would you like to discuss ways in which the Leo Cussen Institute can assist you in complying with CPD requirements?  Contact Linda Baxter, Fiona Dea, or Raji Bains of the Legal Professional Development Department on 9602 3111.  They can assist you in selecting the most appropriate combination of CPD activities within a 12-month period, so that you may work towards achieving your short and longer-term career goals whilst being compliant with the CPD Rules.

 

Anyone requiring further explanation of the Continuing Professional Development Rules 2008, should contact LIV on 9607 9311 or the Legal Services Board on 9679 8000.

 

© Leo Cussen Institute May 2008