Reference Guide · Updated 18 May 2026
Lawyer CPD Requirements by State, Australia
Australian lawyers must complete 10 CPD units each year, including at least 1 unit in each of ethics, practice management, and professional skills, with the balance in substantive law. The CPD year runs 1 April to 31 March in every state and territory. This guide breaks down the state-by-state rules, accepted activities, and recordkeeping obligations for solicitors and barristers.
Step 1, The Mandatory Categories
10 units across four categories
In almost every Australian jurisdiction, solicitors must earn at least 10 CPD units each year, with mandatory minimums in specified categories. The pattern is consistent, only the naming and emphasis varies slightly.
| Category | Minimum | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics and professional responsibility | 1 unit (minimum) | Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules (or Barristers' Rules), confidentiality, conflicts of interest, professional integrity, dealing with self-represented parties, anti-money laundering obligations. |
| Practice management and business skills | 1 unit (minimum) | Costs disclosure and billing, trust account compliance, supervision, mentoring, time and matter management, technology adoption, cybersecurity for law firms, supervision of staff. |
| Professional skills | 1 unit (minimum) | Advocacy, negotiation, drafting, interviewing, advice writing, mediation skills, cross-cultural communication, dealing with vulnerable clients. |
| Substantive law | remainder up to 10 | Updates in your practice areas, case law, legislation, procedural reform, regulatory changes. The bulk of most practitioners' CPD year sits in this category. |
Mandatory minimums shown reflect the dominant national pattern. Check your state regulator's current rules for exact requirements.
Step 2, State-by-State
CPD rules in each Australian jurisdiction
The 10-unit annual baseline is national. The detail, category names, definitions, accepted providers, audit practice, varies by jurisdiction.
New South Wales
- Governing rules
- Legal Profession Uniform CPD (Solicitors) Rules; for barristers, Bar Association CPD rules
- Regulator / Body
- The Law Society of New South Wales (solicitors); NSW Bar Association (barristers)
- Annual units
- 10 CPD units per year (1 April to 31 March CPD year).
- Audit
- Random audits each year. Failure to comply can result in PC conditions or non-renewal.
- Category breakdown
- At least 1 unit in each of: Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Practice Management & Business Skills, Professional Skills. Balance in Substantive Law.
- Notes
- Uniform Law jurisdiction with VIC. CPD year aligns with PC renewal cycle. Newly admitted solicitors in their first year may have pro-rated obligations.
Victoria
- Governing rules
- Legal Profession Uniform CPD (Solicitors) Rules; for barristers, Victorian Bar CPD rules
- Regulator / Body
- Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) for solicitors; Victorian Bar for barristers; both under VLSB+C oversight
- Annual units
- 10 CPD units per year (1 April to 31 March CPD year).
- Audit
- VLSB+C and LIV run random and risk-based audits. Records must be available on request.
- Category breakdown
- Same mandatory categories as NSW: Ethics (1+), Practice Management (1+), Professional Skills (1+), Substantive Law (balance).
- Notes
- Uniform Law jurisdiction with NSW. Bar Practice Course and similar early-career compulsory programs may credit toward CPD.
Queensland
- Governing rules
- Queensland Law Society CPD Rules
- Regulator / Body
- Queensland Law Society (QLS) for solicitors; Bar Association of Queensland for barristers
- Annual units
- 10 CPD points per year (1 April to 31 March CPD year).
- Audit
- QLS conducts random audits each year. Audit selection notice typically arrives by July of the new CPD year for the previous year's records.
- Category breakdown
- Minimum 1 point each in: Practical Legal Ethics; Practice Management & Business Skills; Professional Skills. Balance in Substantive Law.
- Notes
- Queensland retains its own Legal Profession Act 2007. CPD substance broadly aligned with the Uniform Law framework.
South Australia
- Governing rules
- LPEAC Rules / Law Society of SA CPD Rules
- Regulator / Body
- The Law Society of South Australia
- Annual units
- 10 CPDUs (CPD units) per year (1 April to 31 March).
- Audit
- Random audit programme. PC renewal requires CPD declaration.
- Category breakdown
- Minimum 1 CPDU each in: Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Practice Management & Business Skills; Professional Skills; Substantive Law (balance).
- Notes
- South Australia operates outside the Uniform Law but applies a substantially similar CPD framework.
Western Australia
- Governing rules
- Legal Practice Board CPD Rules / Law Society of WA CPD policies
- Regulator / Body
- Legal Practice Board of WA (regulator); Law Society of WA (representative + CPD provider)
- Annual units
- 10 CPD points per year (1 April to 31 March).
- Audit
- Random audits by the Legal Practice Board.
- Category breakdown
- Minimum 1 point each in: Practice Management; Professional Skills; Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Substantive Law (balance).
- Notes
- PCs are issued directly by the Legal Practice Board, separate from Law Society membership.
Tasmania
- Governing rules
- Law Society of Tasmania CPD Rules
- Regulator / Body
- Law Society of Tasmania
- Annual units
- 10 CPD points per year (1 April to 31 March).
- Audit
- Random audits by the Law Society. Penalties for non-compliance include PC conditions.
- Category breakdown
- Minimum 1 point each in: Ethics; Practice Management; Professional Skills. Balance in Substantive Law.
- Notes
- Tasmania's CPD rules closely follow the national pattern. Inter-state CPD generally recognised under mutual recognition.
Australian Capital Territory
- Governing rules
- Law Society of the ACT CPD Rules
- Regulator / Body
- Law Society of the ACT
- Annual units
- 10 CPD units per year (1 April to 31 March).
- Audit
- Random audit programme administered by the Law Society of the ACT.
- Category breakdown
- Minimum 1 unit each in: Ethics; Practice Management; Professional Skills; Substantive Law (balance).
- Notes
- The ACT profession is heavily oriented to federal government and policy work; CPD providers reflect this with strong public-law offerings.
Northern Territory
- Governing rules
- Law Society NT CPD Rules
- Regulator / Body
- Law Society Northern Territory
- Annual units
- 10 CPD units per year (1 April to 31 March).
- Audit
- Audits administered by Law Society NT. PC renewal requires CPD declaration.
- Category breakdown
- Minimum 1 unit each in: Ethics; Practice Management; Professional Skills. Balance in Substantive Law.
- Notes
- Geographic dispersion makes online CPD the dominant delivery mode for NT practitioners.
Step 3, Earning the Units
What counts toward CPD?
Most regulators recognise a broad range of activities, provided they are conducted by an accredited provider or meet self-assessment criteria for relevance and rigour.
Live seminars and conferences
1 unit per hour of attendance. CPD-accredited conferences from Law Societies, Bar Associations, and accredited providers (e.g. College of Law, LegalWise, Television Education Network).
Online courses and webinars
1 unit per hour of completed learning, where the provider is accredited or the activity meets self-assessment criteria. Recordings often acceptable for self-paced learning.
Writing and publication
Units for authoring articles in accredited legal publications, peer-reviewed journals, or substantive CLE materials. Editorial work and translation also recognised in some states.
Presenting and teaching
Multiplier units for presenting accredited CPD content or teaching law at a recognised university (typically 1 unit prep per 1 unit presentation, capped per year).
Postgraduate study
Recognised tertiary study (e.g. Master of Laws, GDLP modules taken post-admission) credits CPD units, often pro-rated by subject hours.
Self-study (limited)
Many states allow a limited number of self-study units per year (typically capped at 2 to 3) for reading accredited material with documented learning outcomes.
Practical tips for CPD compliance
Front-load the mandatory categories
Complete the ethics, practice management, and professional skills units in the first six months of the CPD year (April to September). Substantive-law content is abundant year-round; the mandatory categories run out of slots faster than you think near year-end.
Keep one running CPD log
A simple spreadsheet (date, provider, title, category, units, certificate URL) takes 30 seconds per entry and saves hours during audit. Most practice management systems include a CPD tracker, use it consistently from the start of the year.
Use the year for real development
Treat CPD as an opportunity, not a tick-box. The 1-unit ethics requirement is a natural moment to refresh on the Solicitors' Conduct Rules; the practice management unit is the moment to learn AML, cybersecurity, or the latest trust account rules for lawyers in your state.
Don't leave it to March
Every March, CPD providers schedule heavy programmes for last-minute compliance. Their sessions are valuable but expensive (peak demand) and exhausting if you stack 8 units in a fortnight. Spread the load across the year for both wallet and brain.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the CPD year run?
In every Australian state and territory, the CPD year runs 1 April to 31 March, aligning with the practising certificate renewal cycle. You must complete your 10 units within this window and declare compliance when you renew your PC.
What happens if I miss my CPD obligation in a year?
Most regulators require you to disclose non-compliance on PC renewal. The standard response is a remediation plan, you complete the shortfall plus an additional 5 units in the following year, with proof submitted. Repeated non-compliance can lead to PC conditions (supervised practice, restricted practice rights), refusal to renew, or referral to the discipline body. The penalties scale rapidly for repeat offenders.
Are CPD units from one state recognised in another?
Yes, generally. Mutual recognition under the Uniform Law and inter-state cooperation means CPD completed in one Australian jurisdiction counts toward your CPD obligation in another. The activity still needs to meet the destination state's category and accreditation rules, most major providers are accredited in multiple states.
Do barristers have different CPD rules?
Yes, broadly aligned but separately administered. NSW Bar, Victorian Bar, Queensland Bar, and the state Bar Associations each maintain their own CPD rules. The annual unit requirement is similar (10 points) but mandatory categories may differ (e.g. Bar rules emphasise advocacy and ethics more heavily than practice management).
How long do I need to keep my CPD records?
Five years. CPD records must be retained for at least 5 years from the date of the activity and produced on regulator demand. The record should include: date, activity description, provider, hours/units, category, and any attendance evidence (certificate, registration confirmation). Many practitioners keep an annual CPD log spreadsheet or use a CPD tracker built into their practice management software.
Can a CPD activity count in more than one category?
Generally no, each activity is attributed to a single category for the purposes of the mandatory minimums. However, some activities are explicitly multi-category (e.g. an ethics-in-practice-management seminar) and providers will indicate which category each session counts toward. Plan your CPD year so the mandatory categories are completed early; do not rely on residual substantive-law content to cover ethics or practice management.
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Reviewed by Bishal Shrestha
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Bishal Shrestha
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