Continuing Professional Development (CPD) compliance for Australian lawyers
Australian solicitors must complete 10 CPD units each CPD year (1 April to 31 March), covering four mandatory fields: ethics and professional responsibility; practice management and business skills; professional skills; and substantive law. The Legal Profession Uniform Continuing Professional Development (Solicitors) Rules 2015 apply in NSW, VIC and WA, with equivalent rules in other states.
Coverage
Every Australian solicitor who holds a current practising certificate — full-time, part-time, in-house and government lawyers — unless the rules provide a specific exemption.
Legal basis
Legal Profession Uniform Continuing Professional Development (Solicitors) Rules 2015. Equivalent CPD rules issued by the Queensland Law Society, the Law Society of South Australia, the Law Society of Tasmania, the ACT Law Society and the Law Society of the Northern Territory. Separate rules apply to barristers.
The obligations
Complete 10 CPD units each CPD year
Complete at least 10 CPD units in the CPD year running from 1 April to 31 March (for Uniform Law jurisdictions).
Cover all four mandatory fields
At least one unit in each of ethics and professional responsibility, practice management and business skills, professional skills, and substantive law.
Choose activities relevant to your practice
Select CPD activities that are relevant to the lawyer's immediate or long-term practice needs and likely to enhance skills or knowledge.
Use recognised activity formats
Complete CPD through approved formats including seminars, workshops, private study of legal materials, preparation of papers and research for publication.
Respect category caps
Observe the maximum units available per activity type — for example, private study of audio/visual or online material is subject to a cap.
Maintain a written CPD record
Keep a written record for each CPD year listing activities completed, dates, units claimed and the mandatory field addressed.
Retain CPD records for three years
Keep CPD records for at least three CPD years and produce them on request to the relevant Law Society.
Comply with conditional exemptions
Where an exemption or partial exemption is relied on — such as parental leave or illness — comply with the conditions and document the basis.
Declare CPD compliance on practising certificate renewal
Accurately declare CPD compliance on the annual practising certificate renewal — a false declaration is a serious disciplinary matter.
Remediate any shortfall promptly
If a shortfall is identified, complete the missing units and notify the Law Society in accordance with its remediation process.
What happens if you do not comply
Non-compliance can lead to conditions on the practising certificate, a requirement to complete additional CPD, and disciplinary findings of unsatisfactory professional conduct in serious or repeated cases.
Reporting requirements
CPD compliance is reported through the annual practising certificate renewal declaration. CPD records must be produced on audit or request by the relevant Law Society.
What firms should do today
- Plan the 10 units for the CPD year by August so mandatory fields are not left to the final quarter
- Keep a running CPD log with dates, topics, units, mandatory field and supporting material
- Use a mix of live and on-demand activities to suit workload patterns, while respecting category caps
- Schedule a mid-year review to identify any gap in mandatory fields
- Retain attendance confirmations and presentation notes for three years in a searchable location
Compliance with Quillio
Quillio is not itself a CPD provider, but firms can use it to summarise case law and regulator guidance that supports CPD research — all on Australian-hosted infrastructure. See /resources/security.
This guide is general information about CPD obligations only — not legal or compliance advice. Rules differ between Uniform Law states and non-Uniform Law states and between solicitors and barristers. Refer to the relevant Law Society or Bar Association for authoritative guidance.
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