In the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Law Society of NSW Specialist Accreditation Council has announced its decision not to apply the 5-unit cap for private study of audiovisual material, as outlined in the Information for Accredited Specialists. This approach has given lawyers more flexibility to meet the CPD requirements of their specialists. Given the widespread availability of CPD online, the Law Society of NSW Specialist Accreditation Council will now increase the 5-unit cap for private study of audiovisual material for the year 2021-22. All other CPD renewal requirements must be met, unless an exemption or extension is granted. General information on CPD requirements can be found on the Law Society`s website here. You can claim to have successfully completed a practice management course for your CPD requirements. The CPD program is based on self-assessment of educational activities. If you find that an activity expands your knowledge and skills in areas relevant to your practice needs or professional development, you can claim the activity to meet the requirements of the CPP. See CPD Rule 7.
If you have not been able to meet the CPD requirements, but are not eligible for an exemption, you can apply for an extension to comply with the requirements. Please note that you must submit a CPD remediation plan for approval by the Licensing Committee. See: Request for Extension of Time to Meet CPD Requirements. There are a variety of ways to meet your CPD requirements. These include seminars, workshops, conferences, conferences, discussion groups, multimedia and web-based programmes, private study of audio-visual material, postgraduate studies, research, preparation and editing of articles, membership and participation in committees of professional associations, successful completion of the professional accreditation assessment process, preparation and presentation of seminars. For the complete list, see CPD Rule 8. Mandatory legal education requirements vary for lawyers and barristers in New South Wales. Click on the buttons below to find out more about the specific rules that apply to you if you are a lawyer or a lawyer in New South Wales. This approach has given lawyers more flexibility to meet their CPD requirements, while CPD providers have moved their offerings online. If you have been absent from practice (parental leave, illness, unemployment, etc.) or if your personal circumstances have prevented you from meeting your training requirements for the year, you may be entitled to an exemption. If you have been practicing for 40 years or more and are not a principal, you may be eligible for an ongoing exemption. Requests for exemptions are not automatically accepted and the licensing committee must be satisfied that there are extenuating circumstances justifying the exemption.
See: Request for exemption from CPD requirements. A request for extension or exemption from CPD requirements can be made by completing the appropriate form: please send all CPD questions to registry@lawsociety.com.au. You are entitled to a prorated exemption if you work part-time or occasionally. See: Request for exemption from CPD requirements. If you recently have a practicum certificate for the first time or have resumed practice after a break, you may have additional CPD requirements for the initial period. See CPD Rule 10. Lawyers who are unable to meet CPD requirements for any reason should apply to the Law Society for an exemption or extension of time, if possible by March 31. We encourage all members to visit LawInform.com.au book your CPD. LawInform also offers 250+ on-demand online offerings to help practitioners meet their CPD requirements.
Condition 1 is a legal requirement for an Australian professional certificate under section 52 of the Uniform Legal Profession Act (NSW). This condition requires the certificate holder to meet the applicable requirements of the 2015 Uniform Rules for Continuing Professional Development (Lawyers) of the Legal Profession. One. the medical practitioner has been licensed to practise for more than 40 years and holds a limited training certificate; or is a notary acting exclusively as a notary; The Law Society Practice Management course is offered online based on NSW Health`s current guidelines. Register via LawInform.com.au. b. are managed by persons qualified by practical or academic experience in the field concerned; and 1. Unless an exemption is granted by the Law Society or a proportionate reduction applies under Directive 13, a practitioner must complete at least ten CPD credits per CPD year. Note: The examples of topics listed above are for illustrative purposes only and are not exhaustive. c) Writing or (structurally) editing a legal article in a legal or non-legal publication CPD rules require lawyers to keep their own records of their CPD activities.
The Company provides the template to record CPD activities to assist you. The objective of continuing education is to ensure the continuing competence of practitioners, in particular by ensuring that practitioners` knowledge and skills remain up to date. 12. The Barreau may impose any condition of exemption it considers appropriate. You must complete ten (10) CPD units each year. Of these ten (10) units, you must specify at least one (1) CPD unit each year in each of the following mandatory areas: 1. Ethics and Professional Responsibility 2. Practice Management and Business Skills 3.
Professional skills 4. Substantive law If you work as a lawyer abroad, you will need to acquire CPD units. However, you can obtain them in the jurisdiction where you practice. The Law Society of NSW CPD audit takes place annually. The Law Society reviews lawyers` CPD files to monitor compliance with the New South Wales statutory CPD system. Lawyers selected as part of the audit must provide details of their CPD legal activities in order to provide evidence of compliance with NSW`s statutory CPD system. Examples of interactivity found in online programs include: Lawyers must declare whether or not they have complied with the Law Society of NSW`s Legal CPD program when renewing their professional certificate. 16.
The Law Society may conduct random audits of practitioners` CPD files to monitor compliance with the Guidelines. Core area 2 — Practice management and business skills 15. Practitioners must attest that they have complied with the guidelines at the request of the Law Society. To that end, the application for renewal of the certificate shall be accompanied by a declaration. 13.b. A practitioner who holds an ACT Certificate of Practice for two different periods in a CPD year must complete a proportionate number of CPD units reflecting the total time they held an ACT Practice Certificate in that CPD year. Do I have to earn CPD units if I practice abroad? A legal CPD activity must consist of one of the activities mentioned in Rule 8.1 of the CPD in order to comply with the Law Society of NSW`s legal CPD system. c. seek to broaden a practitioner`s knowledge and skills in areas relevant to his or her practical needs. Certificate of Practice holders must comply with the 2015 Uniform Continuing Professional Development of the Legal Profession (Lawyers) Rules and complete ten CPD credits each year.
Newly admitted lawyers and lawyers returning from a practical break Version A – long version CPD activities are not accredited by the Law Society. If this particular educational activity expands your knowledge and skills in areas relevant to your practice needs or professional development, you should request one (1) “unit” for each hour of attendance, not including refreshment breaks. The annual requirement is ten (10) CPD units per year from April 1 to March 31. The CPD system for New South Wales lawyers is set out in the Uniform Continuing Professional Development of the Legal Profession (Barristers) Rules 2015 (New South Wales Solicitors CPD Rules). Under this system, lawyers must accumulate 10 statutory CPD points each year. Under the Law Society of NSW`s Legal CPD programme, lawyers are required to keep a record of their own legal CPD activities. Lawyers should also keep supporting records of their legal CPD activities for at least 3 years. b) Preparation and/or implementation of an on-the-job seminar or other form of educational activity If you begin or resume possession of a practicum certificate after April 1, you must complete the balance of prorated CPD units as follows: d. absence of the practitioner from the practice of law, such as parental leave, unemployment or sabbatical; 4. Up to three credits completed during the months of January to March may be credited in the following CPD year if the practitioner has completed more than ten credits in the current CPD year. 11. Exemptions granted under Guideline 10(b), (c) or (d) above will normally be granted on a pro-rata basis, but except in exceptional circumstances, the practitioner must complete at least five CPD units.
10. Exemptions, in whole or in part, may be granted upon application to the Law Society for the following reasons: According to the CPD rules for New South Wales lawyers, a legal CPD activity must be: Note: If you are unsure whether an activity qualifies as CPD, please contact the Law Society. The New South Wales Bar Association may conduct an audit to monitor New South Wales lawyers` compliance with these CPD legal rules.