CPD Requirements for Victorian Lawyers
The mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) requirements are different for barristers and solicitors in Victoria. Click on the links below to find out more about the rules for:
Victorian Solicitors
The Law Institute of Victoria’s mandatory CPD scheme is set out in full in the Law Institute Continuing Professional Development Rules 2008 and the Continuing Professional Development Rules of the Legal Services Board 2008. Failure to comply with the requirements of the CPD scheme may amount to unsatisfactory professional conduct and/or professional misconduct under the Legal Profession Act 2004 (Vic).
CPD Activities
Under the Law Institute of Victoria’s CPD scheme, a CPD activity must:
- be of significant intellectual or practical content and must deal primarily with matters related to the practitioner’s practice of law
- be conducted by persons who are qualified by practical or academic experience in the subject covered; and
- seek to extend the practitioner’s knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to the practitioner’s practice needs.
A CPD activity must consist of one of the activities set out in clause 4.2 of the Law Institute Continuing Professional Development Rules 2008 to comply with the Law Institute of Victoria’s CPD scheme.
LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses are classified as a web-based or online program under clause 4.2. This means that Victorian practitioners can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points annually by completing LawCPD’s legal online CPD courses.
Annual Requirements
According the Law Institute of Victoria’s CPD scheme, practitioners must earn a minimum of 10 CPD points every CPD year (1 April – 31 March annually).
Victorian practitioners must earn a minimum of one point in each of the following four mandatory fields:
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Professional Skills;
- Substantive Law; and
- Practice Management and Business Skills
LawCPD has allocated fields (or competency areas) to each course on the website to assist practitioners with the task of identifying which courses fall within the different mandatory fields.
Record Keeping and Auditing
Under the Law Institute of Victoria’s CPD scheme, practitioners must maintain a record of their CPD activities. Practitioners must also retain some supporting documentation to support their CPD record.
Practitioners will be required to certify whether they have met their obligations under the CPD scheme when they renew their practising certificates.
The Law Institute of Victoria conducts annual random audits of practitioners’ CPD records to monitor compliance with the CPD scheme. If a practitioner is selected for audit, they will need to provide supporting documentation to the Law Institute of Victoria to verify that they have complied with the CPD scheme.
LawCPD provides practitioners with a personalised page (MyCPD) which tracks all their learning in real time and provides a record of all CPD points earned through LawCPD. Practitioners can print a copy of this page and provide it to the Law Institute of Victoria in the event that they are audited for compliance with the CPD scheme.
LawCPD also provides printable certificates for each course completed which can be downloaded from the MyCPD page. These certificates may also be provided to prove compliance with the CPD scheme if the practitioner is audited by the Law Institute of Victoria.
Further Information
For full details of the Law Institute of Victoria’s CPD scheme and the requirements for Victorian practitioners, visit the Law Institute of Victoria’s website.
Victorian barristers are required to complete at least 10 CPD points annually under the Victorian Bar Continuing Professional Development Rules 2008.
CPD Activities
Under the Victorian Bar Association’s CPD scheme, a CPD activity must:
- have significant intellectual or practical content dealing primarily with matters related to the practice of law as a barrister;
- be conducted by persons who are qualified by practical or academic experience in the subject covered; and
- extend the barrister’s knowledge and skills in areas relevant to the barrister’s
- practice.
A CPD activity must consist of one of the activities set out in clause 3(d) of the Victorian Bar Continuing Professional Development Rules 2008 to comply with the Victorian Bar Association’s CPD scheme.
LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses are classified as a web-based program under clause 3(d). This means that Victorian barristers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points annually by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
LawCPD anticipates that all of its online legal CPD courses will soon be accredited by the Victorian Bar Association as an approved CPD activity.
Annual Requirements
According the Victorian Bar Association’s CPD scheme, barristers must earn a minimum of 10 CPD points every CPD year (1 April – 31 March annually).
Victorian barristers must earn a minimum of one point in each of the following four mandatory fields:
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Professional Skills;
- Substantive Law; and
- Practice Management and Business Skills
LawCPD has allocated fields (or competency areas) to each course on the website to assist barristers with the task of identifying which courses fall within the different mandatory fields.
Record Keeping and Auditing
Under the Victorian Bar Association’s CPD scheme, barristers must maintain a written record of their CPD activities.
LawCPD provides barristers with a personalised page (MyCPD) which tracks all their learning in real time and provides a record of all CPD points earned through LawCPD. Barristers can print a copy of this page and provide it to the Victorian Bar Association in the event that they are audited for compliance with the CPD scheme.
LawCPD also provides printable certificates for each course completed which can be downloaded from the MyCPD page. These certificates may also be provided to prove compliance with the CPD scheme if the barrister is audited by the Victorian Bar Association.
Further Information
For full details of the Victorian Bar Association’s CPD scheme and the requirements for Victorian barristers, visit the Victorian Bar Association website.
