Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is planned, purposeful learning that helps lawyers develop their knowledge and skills. It is learner-centred, and activities can take many forms, provided they meet the definition in the Lawyers and Conveyancers (Lawyers: Ongoing Legal Education – Continuing Professional Development) R… (CPD Rules).

When it comes to learning, lawyers are typically self-directed and internally motivated, and the CPD scheme reflects that. CPD is intended to address your specific learning needs. Its purpose is to fill gaps in, or to enhance and develop your knowledge or skills. To get the most out of your professional development, lawyers should ensure they take a deliberate approach to planning activities with those needs in mind.

Whether an activity counts as CPD depends on whether it meets the definition in the CPD Rules. Under rule 3, a CPD activity is learning that:

• is structured, with identifiable aims and outcomes relevant to a lawyer’s identified learning needs,
• provides an opportunity for interaction and feedback,
• is verifiable by documentation, and
• is not part of a lawyer’s usual day-to-day work.  

These requirements mean that not every useful learning opportunity will count as CPD. Because the CPD scheme is learner-centred and the Law Society does not accredit or recommend CPD activities or providers, you need to assess for yourself whether an activity can count towards your CPD requirements.

To count, a CPD activity needs to be interactive and separate from daily work. For example, watching a recording of a webinar or listening to a podcast would not meet the requirements if there were no opportunity to discuss the learning, ask questions or have your understanding tested. This is because active engagement in learning, rather than the passive receipt of information, can deepen understanding and make learning more meaningful. Interactive learning also supports the retention and application of knowledge.

Incidental learning, such as knowledge gained through day-to-day tasks, may be valuable, but it does not count as CPD. Likewise, self-study on its own, although important and encouraged, does not qualify as CPD.
Activities that meet the CPD requirements are structured, interactive, and verifiable learning opportunities.

 Examples include:

• Live webinars or online workshops with Q&A sessions
• Planned peer discussion groups or study circles
• Structured mentoring or coaching programmes
• Courses, conferences, or seminars
• Online training, such as on-demand webinars or e-learning which have an interactive element (for example, built in tests or quizzes to assess understanding and recall)
• Presentations or publications, including time spent in preparation, research, and editing. 

A ‘good’ CPD activity will look different for each lawyer because learning needs, roles, and preferred ways of learning vary. What matters is that the activity is addressing a genuine learning need and meets the requirements of the CPD Rules. Taking time to assess activities against those criteria will help you to make informed choices about your professional development and ensure your CPD is both meaningful and compliant.