The Law Society of Alberta (Law Society) has been working over the past two years on a new approach to Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The new CPD program provides clear guidance on what the Law Society believes are important areas of focus for the professional development of Alberta lawyers.
During the development work to enhance the CPD program, the annual filing requirement was suspended until this year. The requirement to submit a CPD plan has returned and the CPD planning period, including access to the new CPD Tool, will open on July 4, 2023.
All active lawyers are required to submit a CPD plan by Oct. 1 of each year. Failure by an active lawyer to submit a CPD plan by the deadline will result in an administrative suspension, as set out in Rule 67.3 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta.
As lawyers turn their minds to annual CPD planning, we want to assure the profession that this new approach to CPD is largely the same as the previous program, but the elements of the program that have traditionally worked well have been further enhanced. This includes focusing on self-reflection, self-assessment and learning outcomes. We are not adding a minimum hours requirement.
More detailed information about the new process, resources and tools will be provided as the program is formally rolled out in July.
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