Legal CPD Requirements: A Comparison Across Australian States

As the March 31st CPD deadline approaches, lawyers across Australia must ensure they meet their continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. While the fundamental obligation to undertake CPD is consistent nationwide, each state and territory has specific rules regarding the number of points required, mandatory subject areas, and how CPD can be completed.

This guide provides an overview of CPD requirements across Australian jurisdictions, helping legal practitioners stay compliant no matter where they are based.

In Summary:

• All states and territories require 10 CPD points per year.

• Ethics, Professional Skills, Practice Management, and Substantive Law are mandatory subjects nationwide.

• Some states impose caps on private study and require interactive CPD components.

• Online CPD is generally accepted but may have restrictions in some jurisdictions.

Learn more about the CPD rules for lawyers in your State: 

New South Wales (NSW)

• Lawyers must complete 10 CPD units each year.

• Must cover four mandatory areas: Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Practice Management and Business Skills, Professional Skills, and Substantive Law.

• Seminar/workshop/lecture/conference/discussion group/multimedia or web-based program =1 unit per hour minus refreshment breaks (no cap)

• Preparing/presenting CPD lectures or legal education = 1 unit per hour - maximum of 5 units

• Private study of audio/visual material that is specifically designed for the purpose of updating a solicitor’s knowledge and/or skills relevant to his or her practice needs = 1 unit per hour - maximum of 5 units

Victoria (VIC)

• Requirement: 10 CPD units annually.

• Four compulsory areas: Ethics, Practice Management, Professional Skills, and Substantive Law.

• A seminar, workshop, lecture, conference, discussion group, multimedia or web-based program, private study of audio/visual material or any other educational activity

• Private study of audio/visual material specifically designed for the purpose of updating a solicitor’s knowledge and/or skills relevant to his/her practice needs.

Queensland (QLD)

• Must complete 10 CPD units per year.

• Mandatory areas: practical legal ethics; practice management and business skills; and professional skills.

• No cap on online CPD, allowing flexibility for practitioners.

Western Australia (WA)

• 10 CPD points per year.

• Competency areas: Ethics and professional responsibility; Practice management and business skills; Professional skills; and Substantive law. 

• At least 1 point must come from each of the four competency areas.

• Some CPD categories, such as private study, have limits.

• at least 5 interactive CPD units/points. 
• Some rules are different for Barristers and Solicitors

South Australia (SA)

• Lawyers must complete 10 CPD units annually.

• Four required areas: practical legal ethics; practice management or business skills; professional skills; bullying, discrimination and harassment. 

• Viewing or listening to material for, a multi-media, web-based or recorded program* - maximum 5 CPD units per CPD year; Please Note: attending a live webinar (in real time) is not subject to this limit. The limit does apply when viewing or listening to a recording of the same seminar (after the fact).

Tasmania (TAS)

• 10 CPD points required per year.

• Mandatory subjects include: Practical legal ethics (E); Practice management or business skills (PM); Professional skills (PS); Substantive law (SL); and Equality and wellbeing (EW) (introduced in May 2021)

• Some restrictions apply to self-study and interactive online learning.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

• 10 CPD units per year.

• Mandatory topics: Legal ethics and professional responsibility, Practice management and business skills,  Professional skills, and Substantive law and procedural law.

Northern Territory (NT)

• 10 CPD points required annually.

• Must cover four mandatory areas similar to other states.

• Private study is capped at 5 points per year.

How to Stay Compliant

To ensure compliance, lawyers should:

• Regularly check their state law society’s CPD guidelines.

• Plan CPD activities early to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline.

• Take advantage of flexible online CPD options, ensuring they meet interactive requirements where applicable.

• Keep detailed records of CPD activities in case of an audit.

At TEN we offer accredited CPD programs tailored to each Australian state’s requirements. Browse our online CPD courses today to stay on track for compliance before March 31st!