The few who haven’t made CPD declarations have been personally contacted by the Law Society, but they aren’t in trouble
The New Zealand Law Society is pleased that almost all practicing lawyers in the country have made their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) declarations on time.
For the year to 31 March, 97.7% of lawyers have declared, the second year running that over 95% of lawyers completed declarations on time, the Law Society announced. Those who haven’t filed have been personally contacted by the Law Society.
“Our approach where someone is late in filing a declaration is a collaborative one. Some late declarations are due to unforeseen circumstances, and there are many reasons why people do not meet the date for making their final declaration,” said Ken Trass, the Law Society’s professional development manager. “The Law Society’s focus is on understanding the reasons and then assisting the lawyer to comply in a more timely way.”
The news comes after the Law Society warned in mid-March that just 45% of lawyers had declared, lower compared to the same time last year.
Lawyers are required to complete 10 hours of CPD activities each year. They must also maintain a CPD Plan and Record with the Law Society, which introduced the requirement in October 2013.
According to the Law Society, more and more law firms are self-auditing CPD requirements to ensure learning aligns with firm specialties and targets. Lawyers are also increasingly establishing study groups to share expertise and complete CPD requirements each year.
Related stories:
Law firms increasingly self-audit CPD
With deadline looming, half of NZ lawyers still haven’t made their CPD declarations
