2020 Continuing Professional Development Cycle Reminder
Filing a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plan is not mandatory in 2020 and 2021. This means lawyers will not be administratively suspended for not filing a plan for these years.
Although the filing requirement is temporarily lifted, lawyers are still encouraged to develop and submit an annual CPD Plan. Taking the time out to schedule professional development activities benefits you, your law firm or organization and your clients.
You can access the CPD Planning Tool on the Lawyer Portal to develop and submit your 2020 CPD Plan until September 30, 2020.
All Alberta lawyers must remain committed to professional development activities that are of-interest or where there may be room for growth. The Law Society Code of Conduct, Chapter 3, imposes an ethical responsibility on lawyers to be competent in all legal services undertaken on a client’s behalf. It remains the responsibility of every Alberta lawyer to maintain their own competence and self-assess areas for improvement.
The Path Forward
The Law Society has suspended the mandatory CPD filing for 2020 and 2021 to rebuild a new competence model. Through this work, the Law Society will promote high standards of competence and wellness. We want to:
- be sure that competency requirements are relevant and proportionate to the stage and setting of a lawyer’s career;
- broaden the concept of competency to extend into non-traditional areas such as technology and general culture competence; and
- reduce stigma related to mental and physical health issues by creating a supportive environment for lawyers to ask for help or resources.
This work will focus on two important projects:
- We will work with stakeholders to develop a new competence framework for a lawyer’s entire career that is proportionate, effective, and dynamic, and incorporates wellness as a key component. We are committed to open dialogue as we work towards to this important goal.
- Establish an Indigenous cultural competency program for all Alberta lawyers to meaningfully address our obligation arising from the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action.
We want to build a new competence model to empower and equip 21st century lawyers to provide the best legal services they can to Albertans. To find out more, read the decision: