CPD Points Requirements for Lawyers
All Australian lawyers are required to complete a minimum of 10 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year. Also referred to as continuing legal education (CLE), the specific rules regarding CPD for lawyers vary between the different jurisdictions, but almost all lawyers are required to earn CPD points in four mandatory competency areas - Ethics CPD, Professional Skills CPD, Practice Management CPD and Substantive Law. LawCPD is committed to providing premium legal CPD for lawyers across Australia. That’s why our platform has an extensive catalogue of interactive online courses in each core competency area, delivering premium CPD for lawyers specialising in different practice areas regardless of their seniority.
To make sure you are CPD compliant, check our state-by-state guide below.
New South Wales
NSW lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and all 10 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All NSW lawyers must complete mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE), also known as continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain their practising certificate. The NSW continuing legal education scheme for solicitors is set out in MCLE Rule 6.1 of the Legal Profession Uniform CPD Rules 2015.
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 legal CPD units each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) and must earn a minimum of one unit from each of the following four mandatory fields:
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Practice Management and Business Skills;
- Professional Skills; and
- Substantive Law.
Under the Law Society of NSW CLE scheme, lawyers can earn 1 legal CPD unit per hour and all 10 legal CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses. This is because LawCPD's courses are classified as an interactive web based program under the CLE rules.
Learn More about the CLE requirements for NSW lawyers
Victoria
Victorian lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All Victorian lawyers must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain their practising certificate.
Victorian lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD points each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) and must earn a minimum of one point in each of the following four mandatory CPD areas:
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Professional Skills;
- Substantive Law; and
- Practice Management and Business Skills.
Under the Law Institute of Victoria’s CPD for lawyers scheme, lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses. This is because LawCPD's courses are classified as an interactive web based program under the legal CPD rules.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for Victorian lawyers
Queensland
Queensland lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All Queensland lawyers must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain their practising certificate.
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 legal CPD units each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) and must earn a minimum of one unit from each of the following three mandatory fields:
Under the Queensland Law Society’s CPD for lawyers scheme, lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses. This is because LawCPD's courses are classified as a multimedia or web based program under the legal CPD rules.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for Queensland lawyers
Western Australia
WA lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
LawCPD is an approved QA provider of CPD for the legal profession in Western Australia and is compliant with the new Legal Practice Board CPDMS. LawCPD’s online CPD courses are classified as an interactive electronic activity under the CPD rules.
All Western Australian lawyers must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain their practising certificate.
Under the CPD rules which came into effect on 1 April 2015, WA lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD points each year (1 April to 31 March) , including a minimum of one CPD point in each of the mandatory competency areas listed below:
- CA 1: Practice Management and Business Skills;
- CA 2: Professional Skills;
- CA 3: Ethics and Professional Responsibility; and
- CA 4: Substantive Law.
Under the Legal Profession Rules 2009, WA lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses. This is because LawCPD’s online courses are classified as an interactive electronic activity under the new CPD rules.
Learn More about CPD requirements for WA lawyers
South Australia
South Australian lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers who hold a current SA practising certificate must complete mandatory continuing professional development (MCPD).
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD units each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) and must complete at least one unit from each of the following four required areas each CPD year:
- Practical Legal Ethics;
- Practice Management and Business Skills;
- Professional Skills; and
- Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment.
Under the Legal Practitioners Education and Admission Council Rules 2004 (LPEAC Rules), lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for SA lawyers
Australian Capital Territory
ACT lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 10 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers who hold a current ACT practising certificate must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD).
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD units each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) , and must earn a minimum of one CPD unit from each of the following four core CPD areas:
- Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Practice Management and Business Skills;
- Professional Skills; and
- Substantive Law and Procedural Law.
Under the ACT Law Society’s CPD for lawyers scheme, lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 10 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for ACT lawyers
Northern Territory
NT lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers in the NT must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain their practising certificate.
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD points each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) and must earn a minimum of one CPD point in each of the following core CPD areas:
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Practice Management and Business Skills;
- Professional Skills; and
- Substantive Law
- Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment.
Under the Law Society of the NT’s CPD for lawyers scheme, lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for NT lawyers
Tasmania
Tasmanian lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers who hold a current Tasmanian practicing certificate must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) each year.
Tasmanian lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD units each year (1 May - 30 April) and must complete at least one unit from each of the following three mandatory competency areas:
Under the Law Society of Tasmania’s CPD for lawyers Scheme (Practice Guideline No. 4), lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
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CPD Requirements - Frequently Asked Questions
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What are CPD points, and why do lawyers need them?
Lawyers need to complete CPD (Continuing Professional Development) requirements annually to maintain their practicing certificate and stay up to date with legal developments.
How many CPD points do lawyers need each year?
Lawyers in Australia typically need to earn 10 CPD points per year to meet their CPD requirements and renew their practicing certificate.
What are the mandatory CPD categories?
Lawyers need to earn CPD points in four core fields to meet their annual CPD requirements:
- Ethics and professional responsibility
- Practice management and business skills
- Professional skills
- Substantive law
Lawyers in some states also need to earn legal CPD points in Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination (SA and NT) or in Wellbeing (Tasmania).
How can lawyers earn CPD points?
CPD points can be earned through various activities, including:
- Completing interactive, online courses
- Attending accredited seminars and webinars
- Writing legal articles
- Presenting at CPD events
- Mentoring or coaching junior lawyers
Can I carry forward excess CPD points to the next year?
Some states allow lawyers to carry over a limited number of excess CPD points completed in January, February or March to the following year, while others do not. Check with your local regulator for specific rules.
What happens if I don’t meet my CPD requirements?
If you fail to meet your CPD obligations you may face issues renewing your practicing certificate, or face disciplinary action and fines for persistent issues. Some states may allow you to make up for missed CPD points within a grace period.
Are online CPD courses recognised?
Yes, online legal CPD courses which are interactive are recognised in all states and territories. Lawyers in NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, NT, and the ACT can earn all 10 CPD points each year by completing interactive online courses, like those offered by LawCPD.
How do I track and report my CPD points?
Lawyers must self-report CPD points and keep records of their completed activities. Some regulators conduct random audits to ensure compliance. You can also use our free universal CPD tracker to monitor your CPD progress for both LawCPD courses and CPD from external providers.
South Australia
South Australian lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers who hold a current SA practising certificate must complete mandatory continuing professional development (MCPD).
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD units each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) and must complete at least one unit from each of the following four required areas each CPD year:
- Practical Legal Ethics;
- Practice Management and Business Skills;
- Professional Skills; and
- Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment.
Under the Legal Practitioners Education and Admission Council Rules 2004 (LPEAC Rules), lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for SA lawyers
Australian Capital Territory
ACT lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 10 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers who hold a current ACT practising certificate must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD).
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD units each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) , and must earn a minimum of one CPD unit from each of the following four core CPD areas:
- Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Practice Management and Business Skills;
- Professional Skills; and
- Substantive Law and Procedural Law.
Under the ACT Law Society’s CPD for lawyers scheme, lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 10 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for ACT lawyers
Northern Territory
NT lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers in the NT must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain their practising certificate.
Lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD points each CPD year (1 April – 31 March) and must earn a minimum of one CPD point in each of the following core CPD areas:
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility;
- Practice Management and Business Skills;
- Professional Skills; and
- Substantive Law.
Under the Law Society of the NT’s CPD for lawyers scheme, lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
Learn More about the CPD requirements for NT lawyers
Tasmania
Tasmanian lawyers can earn 1 CPD point per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.
All lawyers who hold a current Tasmanian practicing certificate must complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) each year.
Tasmanian lawyers must complete a minimum of 10 CPD units each year (1 May - 30 April) and must complete at least one unit from each of the following three mandatory competency areas:
Under the Law Society of Tasmania’s CPD for lawyers Scheme (Practice Guideline No. 4), lawyers can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and up to 5 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.
Learn more about the CPD requirements for Tasmanian lawyers
LawCPD is committed to providing premium legal CPD for lawyers across Australia through our engaging online courses. Learn why LawCPD's courses are recognised in all Australian States and Territories and discover how you can enhance your legal CPD experience today.