The Law Society of Ontario, Canada, has launched a number of new initiatives to improve the career-long professional development of lawyers and paralegals. The Law Society’s Board of Directors approved the new competency framework after a consultation period The new Competency Framework includes the creation of a practice essentials course which will be mandatory for…
The Law Society of Alberta, Canada, outlines new Professional Development Profile for lawyers
The Law Society of Alberta has published a new Professional Development Profile as part of an overhaul of the system of Continuing Professional Development in the province. In 2020, the Benchers of the Law Society of Alberta set out to enhance its approach to continuing professional development (CPD). One key goal is to make the…
Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten launches a self-assessment tool for lawyer CPD
The Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten (NOvA) has launched a self-assessment tool designed to assist lawyers with CPD. The online platform is entirely voluntary, to use, and allows lawyers to assess their own progress on metrics of expertise, interaction and attitude. This allows them to reflect on their own professional development, and to identify areas of…
Victoria Legal Services Board recommends significant changes to CPD
On the 25th November, the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (VLSB) released the findings of an independent review into Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Victoria. The review was conducted by independent consultant Chris Humphreys and involved interviews with over 170 organisation and individuals about how the system in Victoria could be improved, enabling the…
Victoria Legal Services Board and Commissioner consultation on CPD
The Victoria Legal Services Board and Commissioner is currently accepting thoughts for their ongoing review on CPD in the state. The review is keen to hear from a broad range of lawyers and other stakeholders. The review is hoping to hear opinions on topics such as the levels CPD is aimed at, the role of…
Regulatory responses to COVID-19
We’ve put together the following list to examine different regulator responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions or best practice for the rest of the ICLR community, please do get in touch, and we will be happy to include any of these in the next newsletter. The Nederlandse Orde Van Advocaten has…
BSB publishes research into barristers’ attitudes to CPD revisions
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a report on the impact of their revised approach to regulating barristers’ Continuing Professional Development. The report found that the general attitude towards the scheme amongst barristers was positive, with many welcoming the improved flexibility of the rules, however the report also suggested that there was some misunderstanding…
Revised SRA approach to CPD is well recieved by law firms
Newly published feedback received by the Solicitor Regulation Authority (SRA) on continuous professional development (CPD) requirements introduced in 2016 has indicated that the changes have been well received by solicitors and law firms. The requirements, known as ‘Continuing Competence’ are available in full here and include requiring solicitors to make an annual declaration of their own…