Find out about the continuing professional development requirements, including changes for 2022/23.
If you hold a current practising certificate, you need to complete 10 hours of CPD activities each year. The CPD year runs from 1 April through to 31 March of the following year.
For the 2021/22 practising year the cap on private study of 5 hours of private audio/visual material has been reinstated.
10 units of CPD must be completed by 31 March 2023.
There are other limits to the number of hours you can do for each activity, please see the table below.
| CPD activity | Points of activity | Limits that apply for solicitors |
|---|---|---|
| Participate in a lecture, seminar, workshop or discussion group, in person or online (see note below) | 1 point per hour of activity | No limits |
| Research, prepare and/or edit a legal article or law report | 1 point per 1,000 words | No more than 5 CPD points per year |
| Prepare and/or present a CPD activity | 1 point per hour of activity | No more than 5 CPD points per year |
| Participate in a legal committee, taskforce or practice section | 1 point per 2 hours of activity | No more than 3 CPD points per year |
| Postgraduate studies relevant to the practice of law or practice needs | 1 point per hour of activity | No limits |
| Private study of audio/visual materials (see below) | 1 point per hour of activity | No more than 5 CPD points per year |
Proceed with your practising certificate application and select ‘No’ to the question regarding continuing professional development (CPD). We may not process your application until you have met the requirements.
After submitting your PC application form you’ll receive a written notice asking you to submit a rectification plan within 21 days. Your plan must set out the CPD activities that you intend to take to make up for the CPD you missed, and you will be given 90 days to complete those activities. You can download a rectification plan template here.
You can get an exemption from completing some or all of your CPD activities for the year under certain circumstances. Some reasons for exemption include:
- if you have a disability or you have suffered an illness;
- if you work in a remote area and do not have access to CPD resources; and
- if you work part time, or reduced hours.
To apply for an exemption, please contact the Victorian Bar (for barristers) or the LIV (for solicitors).
If you only practised for part of the CPD year, you only need to complete CPD units for the time that you held a practising certificate. The pro-rata calculation table in the CPD rules will show you how many units you need to complete. If you have met the pro-rata CPD units you can select 'Yes' to the continuing professional development question on the renewal application.