How to do CPD under the new SRA Rules

18th April 2016

Solicitors faced with the challenge of taking a ‘reflective approach’ to CPD under the new SRA regimen may be perplexed by the change from 16 hours of CPD training a year. But it need not be daunting.

Over the years, to stay current with the law, you will have done many things to keep up to speed. As a junior lawyer you will have had file reviews with someone more senior – and took their advice. You did your research and reading, joined a local law group – perhaps the Law Society’s own. You’d have had a chat with a colleague at work. You kept an eye online to the latest news, new developments, and read presidents; perhaps more recently followed a blog or LinkedIn group.

And that hasn’t changed. Rather than do a defined number of hours sitting in a lecture, which you can still do if that is what you feel you need, all you are being asked to do is think about your work – both your practice of law and your role in the firm – and undertake all those activities you did before to ensure you ‘provide a proper standard of service’ to your clients. Just record what you have done in the manner that best suits your situation in your firm.

The SRA have devised a range of skill-sets (competencies) to cover all the things you might want to reflect on; larger firm’s Learning & Development people are able to put this into a structure to help their staff evaluate their training needs and will be adapted into their staff appraisal schemes.

For others, advisors to law firms are able to offer bespoke and off-the-shelf adaptable approaches to help document the process.

To aid firms in establishing the new approach one firm (DAWLaw) have put their heads together and developed a comprehensive support package to guide solicitors and managers through the process.

The pack contents can be photocopied internally as many times as you need to help all managers and their solicitor staff get to grips with the SRA regimen.

This comprehensive resource is listed at £198.50 (+VAT) but we have negotiated a discount for readers to £188.50 (+VAT) – just quote ‘ETSOS-55’ when you e-mail advice@daw.co.uk for an order form.

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