CPD Points Requirements for QLD lawyers

The mandatory continuing legal education requirements are different for barristers and solicitors in Queensland. Click on the buttons below to find out more about the specifc rules that apply to you if you are a solicitor or a barrister in Queensland.

Queensland Solicitors

CPD Rules for Queensland Solicitors

 

Queensland solicitors can earn 1 CPD unit per hour and all 10 CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.


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CPD Rules for Queensland Solicitors

The QLD Law Society's mandatory continuing legal education scheme is set out in full in Part 6 of the Queensland Law Society Administration Rule 2005. Failure to comply with the requirements of the legal CPD scheme may amount to unsatisfactory professional conduct and/or professional misconduct under the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld).



Recognised CPD Activities

Under the Law Society QLD continuing legal education scheme, a legal CPD activity must:

  • be of significant intellectual or practical content and must deal primarily with matters directly related to the practice of law;
  • be conducted by persons who are qualified by practical or academic experience in the subject covered; and
  • be relevant to a legal practitioner’s immediate or long term needs in relation to the practitioner’s professional development and to the practice of law.

A legal CPD activity must consist of one of the activities set out in clause 48(2) of the Queensland Law Society Administration Rule 2005 to comply with the Law Society QLD continuing legal education scheme.

LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses are classified as a multimedia or website based program under clause 48(2). This means that Queensland practitioners can earn 1 legal CPD point per hour and all 10 legal CPD points annually by completing LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Annual CPD Requirements

According to the Law Society QLD legal CPD scheme, practitioners must earn a minimum of 10 legal CPD points every CPD year (1 April – 31 March annually).

Although it is ultimately up to practitioners to identify which core area applies to a CPD activity, LawCPD has allocated core areas to all of the online legal CPD courses on the LawCPD site to assist practitioners with this task.

 

Queensland practitioners must earn a minimum of 1 legal CPD unit in each of the following three mandatory core areas:

 

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Record Keeping and Auditing

What records should I keep?

Under the Law Society QLD continuing legal education scheme, practitioners must maintain a record of their legal CLE activities. Practitioners must retain some supporting documentation to support their legal CLE record.

Practitioners will be required to declare whether or not they have complied with Part 6 (Continuing Professional Development) of the Queensland Law Society Administration Rule 2005 when they renew their practising certificates.

For full details of the Law Society QLD continuing legal education scheme and the CLE requirements for Queensland practitioners, visit the Qld Law Society’s website.

 

Will I get audited?

The QLD Law Society conducts annual random audits of practitioners’ legal CLE records to monitor compliance with the continuing legal education scheme. If a practitioner is selected for audit, they will need to provide supporting documentation to the Law Society QLD to verify that they have complied with the legal CLE scheme.

 

How does LawCPD help me with my compliance?

LawCPD provides practitioners with a personalised page (MyCPD) which tracks all their learning in real time and provides a record of all legal CLE points earned through LawCPD. Practitioners can print a copy of this page and provide it to the Law Society QLD in the event that they are audited for compliance with the continuing legal education scheme.

LawCPD also provides printable certificates for each online legal CPD course completed which can be downloaded from the MyCPD page. These certificates may also be provided to prove compliance with the legal CLE scheme if the practitioner is audited by the Law Society QLD.


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Queensland Barristers

Queensland barristers can currently earn 1 CPD unit per hour and all 10 CPD units each year by completing LawCPD’s online CPD courses.

CPD Rules for Queensland Barristers

CPD Rules for Queensland Barristers

Queensland barristers are required to complete at least 10 legal CPD points annually under the Bar Association of Queensland’s Administration Rules.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognised CPD Activities

As per the Bar Association of Queensland’s CPD Policy, barristers will need to determine themselves that their CPD activities are:

  • Of significant intellectual or practical content and which deal primarily with matters related to the practice of law;
  • Conducted by persons who are qualified by practical or academic experience in the subject covered; and
  • Relevant to the barrister’s immediate or long term professional development needs.

Queensland Barrister’s can earn 1 legal CPD point for each completed hour of engagement in a CPD activity, provided it meets the above criteria. LawCPD’s online legal CPD courses are classified as online activities under the Queensland Bar Association’s CPD Policy. This means that barristers can ordinarily earn 1 legal CPD point per hour and up to 3 legal CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online courses. There are exceptions for regional members, who may claim unlimited legal CPD points for online activities.

In March 2020, the Queensland Bar Council stated that it would indefinitely lift the cap on completing online activities due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. This means that Queensland Barristers can currently claim 1 legal CPD point per hour and an unlimited number of legal CPD points each year by completing LawCPD’s online courses.

 

 


 

 

Annual CPD Requirements

According to the Bar Association of Queensland’s Administration Rules, barristers must earn 10 legal CPD points every CPD year (1 April – 31 March annually).

CPD points accrued by a barrister in the period 1 January – 31 March in any legal CPD year may be carried over into the following legal CPD year, but can only be counted in one legal CPD year.

Law CPD has allocated CPD categories (or CPD competency areas) to all of the online legal CPD courses on the LawCPD site to assist practitioners with the task of identifying which online CPD courses fall within the different CPD categories.

 

 

Queensland barristers must earn a minimum of 1 legal CPD point from each of the following mandatory categories:

 

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Record Keeping and Auditing

 

What records should I keep?

Under the Bar Association of Queensland’s Administration Rules, barristers must maintain a record of their legal CPD activities. Barristers must also retain some supporting documentation to support their legal CPD record for at least three years after the end of the legal CPD year.

For full details of the Bar Association of Queensland’s continuing professional development scheme and the legal CPD requirements for Queensland barristers, visit the Bar Association of Queensland’s website.

 

Will I get audited?

Queensland barristers must electronically submit to the Bar Association, a copy of the barrister’s CPD record within 14 days of the conclusion of the legal CPD year. The Bar Council will audit a percentage of its members each year for compliance with the CPD rules.

 

How does LawCPD help me with my compliance?

Law CPD provides practitioners with a personalised page (MyCPD) which tracks all their learning in real time and provides a record of all legal CPD units earned through Law CPD.

Law CPD also provides printable certificates for each online legal CPD course completed which can be downloaded from the MyCPD page. These certificates may also be provided to prove compliance with the legal CPD requirements when the barrister submits their CPD record and supporting documentation to the Bar Association.

 

ARE YOU READY TO GET STARTED?

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What is MyRewards?

MyRewards is LawCPD's loyalty program. Each purchase earns you reward points which you can use to claim free online CPD courses. MyRewards is a great opportunity for you to save on your legal CPD. For example, if you buy 4 CPD points worth of courses, you will have accumulated enough points to get your 5th CPD point for free! That works out to a saving of 20% on all courses over time. Every LawCPD member will automatically start accumulating reward points from their first purchase, so make sure you create your free account today!

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Want to know more about how you can save with LawCPD MyRewards? Read more below.

How does MyRewards work?

How do I get reward points?

Reward points are automatically allocated to your MyRewards account after each purchase.

For every four dollars you spend with LawCPD, you receive one reward point.



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How many reward points do I have?

You can check your MyRewards balance at any time in your MyCPD profile.

Once logged into the MyCPD dashboard, go to "MyProfile" via the left or bottom menu. The number of reward points you have accumulated will be visible in the bottom-right section “MyRewards Balance”.


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How many reward points do I need to get a free course?

Each reward point is equivalent to 1 dollar on the LawCPD site. You will need a total of 109 reward points in your account before you can spend them. To make a purchase with reward points, your MyRewards balance will need to be equal or higher than the total amount of your cart.

For example, purchasing a One-Click CPD 10 Point pack will earn you 220 reward points. This means that not only you will have already saved 20% on standard pricing by purchasing a One-Click CPD Compliance Pack, but you will also be able to claim your next CPD course for free!


How long do my reward points last?

Your reward points will expire one year after the date they were allocated to your account; don't forget to use them!



How do I use my reward points?

To use reward points, follow these simple steps:

  • From the Premium Online Legal CPD page, select your courses and click Purchase to add them to your cart.
  • When you are ready to checkout, click the cart icon at the top right of screen, and Go to Checkout.
  • On the Checkout page, complete your order details (Name, Address, etc) or log in to your existing account.
  • When you reach the Payment Method section, choose Reward Points.
    Can't see the Reward Points option? Check that you have sufficient points to purchase your selected course.
  • When you are happy with your order, click Review Order at the bottom of the Checkout page.
  • Review the details on the Review Order page, and if you want to make any changes, click the Back button. When you are satisfied with your order, click Purchase.
  • Congratulations! The course is ready to go. When you are ready to begin, go to the MyCPD dashboard and select your new course from the list.

Note: Your reward points will be removed from your account once they have been redeemed.



Any Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the MyRewards program, you can email us today at support@LawCPD.com.au.