Continuing Professional Development

Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD)

Solicitors need to undertake 10 CPD units between 1 April and 31 March each year in order to apply for renewal of practicing certificates for the following year.

Download the 2012 CPD Program

Registration forms for the seminars listed in the CPD Program can be found in the Law Society Events section of the website.

The requirements for complying with MCPD are detailed in the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Guidelines.

What CPD does the Law Society offer?

To support members in complying with MCPD, the Law Society has developed a comprehensive CPD Programme in order to ensure a good range of quality offerings to cater for the needs of its wide cross section of members and at affordable prices. 

The Society is actively planning further CPD seminars and workshops over the next 12 months to support members in meeting CPD obligations. Members are encouraged to suggest further topics of relevance or interest by contacting the Society’s Professional Development Officer on (02) 6247 5700.

Questions and answers about MCPD

The Law Society has developed frequently asked questions (FaQs) and answers - MCPD FAQs.

MCPD Forms

• Application for applying for exemption
• Application for extension of time to comply
• Record of MCPD activities

How to get help

Members are encouraged to first read the MCPD Guidelines, the answers to FAQs and the MCPD key points listed below.

Members can also telephone the Law Society on (02) 6247 5700.

Key points about MCPD

1. MCPD will commence in the ACT from 1 July 2010.
2. MCPD will only apply to practising certificate holders.  Members who are only associate members only (and who do not require practising certificates) will not have to comply with MCPD. MCPD will be imposed as a condition on practising certificates issued for the period 1 July 2010 onwards.
3. In the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, practitioners must complete 10 CPD units, and the same in subsequent CPD years which run 1 April to 31 March (MCPD Guidelines, para 2.4(b)).  In those CPD years, practitioners will also be able to carry over CPD units from the last 3 months (1 January to 31 March) from the previous CPD year) into the upcoming CPD year so long as those CPD units were not counted in that previous CPD year, eg. For the CPD year 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, practitioners will be entitled to carry over CPD units completed between 1 January 2011 and 31 March 2011 so long as those CPD units were not counted for the CPD period 1 July 2010 to 31 March 2011.  (See para 2.3 in the MCPD Guidelines.)
4. Of the minimum number of CPD units which must be undertaken each CPD year, those units must include no less than 1 units drawn from each of the 3 core areas: (i) practical legal ethics; (ii) practice management and business skills; and (iii) professional skills (see para 2.5 in the MCPD Guidelines).
5. CPD units do not need to be accredited.  Rather, it is simply up to practitioners to assure themselves that the CPD units meet the requirements specified in the MCPD Guidelines (see paras 2.7 and 2.8 in the MCPD Guidelines).  However, practitioners are welcome to contact the Law Society with any queries about whether a unit would count for CPD purposes.
6. Practitioners must maintain their own records of attendance (MCPD Guidelines, para 2.14).  Practitioners will not, as a matter of course, need to submit records of attendance to the Law Society.  However, the Society could require a practitioner to provide such records, including in the event of an audit (MCPD Guidelines. para 2.16).

Cancellation Policy

From 1 January 2011, the following cancellation policy will apply to all ACT Law Society CPD program registrations. Please note that confirmation of intention to attend a CPD seminar is from the date of receipt of the registration form, or confirmation of registration with the CPD Officer.

All cancellations will incur a fee. Within 24 hours of the event, 50% of the total cost will be retained by the society as a cancellation fee. The balance may be used as a credit toward other events or be refunded.

Outside 24 hours of the event, a $10 administration fee will be incurred for any cancellation, or change of event made (no charge will be incurred for substituting another person). The remainder may be used as a credit toward other events or be refunded.

If a registered attendee does not attend without notice, there will be no credit/refund offered and 100% of the total cost will be retained by the Society.