Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Fulfilment by ERA of the conditions for recognition of CPD credits/points for lawyers in private practice
The information presented below was correct – to the best knowledge of the author – on the date of publication on 26 October 2017. If you find any inaccuracies, we would be most grateful if you would report them to alees@era.int.
(Source: CCBE, ERA.)
Austria: Österreichischer Rechtsanwaltskammertag (ÖRAK) / Austrian Chamber of Lawyers
Belgium: L’Ordre des Barreaux Francophones et Germanophone de Belgique (OBFG / Avocats.be) / Order of the French and German-speaking Bars of Belgium
Participation in legal training seminars earns lawyers one point per hour of training. CPD points from e-learning are also accepted.
ERA training events are currently not recognised by the OBFG. However, ERA provides an official certificate of completion and encourages participants to submit a reasoned request to the Bar Council (Le conseil de l’Ordre) for approval.
Belgium: De Orde van Vlaamse Balies (OVB / Advocaats.be) / Order of Flemish Bars
For pre-approved training events, one hour of teaching is equivalent to one CPD point. Training organisers are responsible for getting events approved in advance.
Currently, ERA does not seek pre-approval from the OVB. However, we will provide an official certificate of completion, and encourage participants to submit a reasoned request to the Bar Council for approval.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Advokatura AKFBiH / Bar Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Participation in training activities in other countries counts towards fulfilling training obligations. ERA offers such seminars.
Bulgaria – Bulgarian Supreme Bar Council
There is no accreditation system for the continuous training of lawyers. Attorneys are free to choose the form and subject matter of the training. Training obligations can be fulfilled through participation in training activities in another Member State. ERA offers such seminars.
Croatia – Hrvatska Odvjetnička Komora
Participation in training activities in other Member States counts towards fulfilling training obligations. ERA offers such seminars.
Cyprus – Cyprus Bar Association
Czech Republic – Česká Advokátní Komora
The onus is on the individual lawyer to undertake training in order to specialise in a specific field and to choose the most suitable training for his field of practice.
Czech lawyers may voluntarily choose continuous training activities organised by various training providers.
Denmark – Advokatsamfundet
One lesson is 45 minutes. Each training activity needs to be a minimum of three lessons of 45 minutes each; the number of lessons can be given with decimal points. There need not be an immediate connection between the lessons, but there needs to be an overarching theme.
In addition to a participation certificate, the participant needs to produce a course programme describing the content of the course.
CPD points from e-learning are accepted.
The Danish Bar does not accredit training providers or activities. All ERA training programmes meet its requirements for recognition.
Estonia – Eesti Advokatuur (Estonian Bar Association)
CPD points from e-learning are accepted.
The Estonian Bar does not accredit training providers or activities. All ERA training programmes meet its requirements for recognition.
Finland – Finnish Bar Association
ERA is one of the legal training providers listed by the Finnish Bar. (https://www.asianajajaliitto.fi/koulutus/muu_koulutustarjonta)
France – CNB (French Bar Association)
The lawyer is responsible for the follow-up of his continuing education. Before 31 January of each year, he must declare to the Council of the Order the conditions under which he has fulfilled his obligation for the previous year by attaching all the attendance certificates given by the training provider.
Holders of one or more certificates of specialisation are required to attend at least 10 hours of training in each of their specialisation area(s).
CPD points from e-learning are accepted, but lawyers cannot spend more than half of their training via e-methods.
Currently, ERA does not seek prior accreditation from the CNB but is in process to offer CNB accreditation in the future.
Germany – Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer
A certificate of attendance would be provided for all ERA seminars, which fulfils the formal requirements in § 15 FAO. ERA regularly offers training for the following Fachanwaltschaftens, including: labour law, banking law, family law, succession law, IP Law, insolvency law, migration law, social law, tax law, criminal law, media law, procurement law, and insurance law.
The recognition of e-learning depends on the local Bars; usually e-methods with interaction possibilities count if the possibility of interaction is guaranteed and constant attendance is proven.
Georgia – Georgian Bar Association
One of the ways in which these credit hours can be filled is by having participated in international conferences during the current year and submitting a document certifying their participation in such an event. ERA is a provider of such conferences.
Greece – Bar Association of Greece (DSA)
The onus is on the individual lawyer to undertake training in order to specialise in a specific field and to choose the most suitable training for his field of practice.
Lawyers may voluntarily choose continuous training activities organised by various training providers.
Hungary – Magyar Ügyvédi Kamara
The Bar association is responsible of organising the professional training of lawyers admitted to the Bar. This training consists of ad-hoc events which are optional.
Hungarian lawyers can participate in training activities taking place in another Member State on a voluntary basis.
Iceland – Lögmannafélag Íslands
Ireland – Bar Council
One hour of learning counts toward one point. When calculating the CPD hours, the barrister is expected to record the number of hours attended, rather than the hours advertised.
A maximum of two points may be claimed for either reading legal journals or viewing CPD DVDs or listening to MP3 files of recorded CPD seminars (e-learning).
Barristers can apply for a priori and a posteriori assessment/approval individually. The criteria for assessment/approval is: significant intellectual or practical content, link to the practice of law, suitable qualifications of training providers, and relevance to the barrister’s immediate or long term needs in relation to the professional development.
Ireland – Law Society of Ireland
Each cycle shall comprise a minimum of three hours of management and professional development skills and a minimum of two hours of regulatory matters and may be completed by means of e-learning and/or group study and/or written relevant material. The remaining 15 hours must be fulfilled by training activities for ‘General CPD’. All ERA training courses fall into the last category.
When calculating CPD hours, one hour of learning counts toward one hour.
CPD points from e-learning are accepted.
In order to qualify as CPD, the training must be intended to develop the solicitor in his/her professional knowledge, skills and abilities.
Italy – Consiglio Nazionale Forense (CNF)
Different CPD points are allocated to different CPD activities.
For updating activities (mainly aimed at adapting and deepening the acquired experience and knowledge gained in initial training):
(i) half day events: from one up to three credits;
(ii) one day (or more) events: from two up to 12 credits.
For training activities (training for the development of new competences):
(i) half day events: from two to four credits;
(ii) one day (or more) events: from six to 20 credits.
Credits from e-learning (or “FAD”) are accepted. However, credit points from distance learning must not exceed 40% of the total credit points earned over the three years.
ERA events are automatically accredited by the Italian bar based on the applied principle of mutual understanding and the fact that ERA events are recognised as CPD training events by the Barreau du Luxembourg.
Kosovo – Kosovo Bar Association
The main objectives of continuous legal training in Kosovo are:
- Provision of professional support to lawyers in their practice of law
- Promotion of exchange of knowledge, methods and best professional practices
- Enhancing professional skills of writing, reasoning and argumentation in the application of law in practice
- Giving a contribution in terms of keeping the lawyers informed about the developments in the fields of jurisprudence, economy, social and culture
- Improving the lawyers’ knowledge on international law, in particular the European Law
- Providing a multidisciplinary approach regarding topics or issues addressed by the training needs of lawyers
Latvia – Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates
When calculating CPD points, one academic hour is equivalent to 45 minutes.
However, according to Art 2.3 of the Regulation, if an activity is attended abroad, 45 minutes count for two academic hours.
Lithuania – Lithuanian Bar Association
The number of necessary CPD points depends on the lawyer’s experience:
Lawyers who have been practising less than five years require six points per year, lawyers with more than five years of practise only three points. Trainee lawyers have to accumulate 12 points per year.
When calculating CPD points, any event that is four academic hours is equivalent to one point. If any event is more than four academic hours, it is equivalent to two points. For multiple day events, each full day is equivalent to two points.
Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein Bar Association
Keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in law is a professional obligation. It is particularly important that lawyers are aware of the growing influence of European law on their field of activity. ERA offers such seminars.
Luxembourg – Barreau de Luxembourg
When calculating CPD points, one hour counts for one point.
ERA is one of the training institutions approved by the Luxembourg Bar Association (https://www.barreau.lu/le-metier-d-avocat/devenir-avocat/formations-conferences/institutions-agreees-au-titre-de-la-formation-permanente-par-le-conseil-de-l-ordre)
Malta – Chamber of Advocates Malta
Netherlands – NovA (The Netherlands Bar)
When calculating CPD points, an hour of learning counts for one training point.
It is possible to get training points from non-accredited institutions. ERA can offer such training activities.
Norway – Advokatforeningen (The Bar Association of Norway)
The credit hours are categorised into three groups: legal hours (training on legal subjects), non-legal hours (legal research, language, psychology, business, accounting and auditing, IT) and ethics hours.
Participants need to formally apply for the approval of the points achieved after visiting external course providers, i.e. courses offered by providers other than Juristenes Utdanningssenter (JUS) and Advokatsforeningen.
When calculating CPD points, one course hour is equivalent to 45 minutes. A course needs to be a minimum of two course hours (1 hour 30 minutes)
E-learning is recognised if the participant is required to answer questions based on the e-learning product at the end to prove his knowledge. All ERA courses take this format.
The bar association does not pre-approve courses. ERA, as a training organisation based outside Norway, is in principle eligible for CPD recognition. The bar association decides on a case by case basis.
Poland – Bar Council (NRA)
When calculating CPD points, one hour is equivalent to one point. Any course that is shorter than one hour does not count.
Internet presentations and e-learning count towards points only if they are organised by the Bar.
The main criteria for assessing training activities is whether the activity is addressed fully or mainly to lawyers and develop professional skills of a lawyer. In addition, training from all institutions that guarantee a sufficient standard of training, i.e.: universities and higher education institutions, public and non-public, other institutions professionally engaged in legal science or research works in legal area, institutions specialized in organising trainings, seminars and conferences, other self-government organizations of lawyers, lawyers organizations such as IBA, UIA, AIJA, INTA, ICCA, ILA, CCBE, chambers of commerce etc, are accepted.
Poland – National Council of Legal Advisors
The method of CPD point calculation is as follows:
- Two points for every 45 minutes in case of a training for lawyers conducted abroad
- One point for every 45 minutes if the training is organised by training providers in Poland
Portugal – Ordem dos Advogados (Portuguese Bar Association)
Romania – Uniunea Nationala a Barourilor din Romania (Romanian National Union of Bar Associations)
Slovakia - Slovenská Advokátska Komora
Slovenia – Odvetniška Zbornica Slovenije
Spain – General Council of the Spanish Bar
Sweden – Swedish Bar Association
In order to attain the quality requisite for the training, one training event should not last less than 1.5 hours of effective training time. The number of participants in a training event, except for e-learning, should not be below five, the training leader excluded.
E-learning is recognised as one of the training forms, however it must not exceed six hours of the 18 hours of training required.
The criteria for accreditation are: relation and benefit to the practice of law, content, and professional competency of the teacher.
Switzerland – Federation Suisse des Avocats
When calculating CPD points, personal participation in a course of at least 45 minutes corresponds to one credit. One full day of training gives six credits.
E-learning is accepted only for the initial specialisation training, not for the mandatory continuing training.
Turkey – Türkiye Barolar Birliği
UK – England and Wales, Bar Standards Board
From 1 January 2017, the Bar Standards Board accreditation system for CPD providers ceased to operate. There is no requirement for barristers to complete training activities at accredited providers. According to the new regime, there are also no guidelines for the number of hours or the form of training.
UK – England and Wales, Solicitors Regulation Authority
UK – Northern Ireland, General Council of the Bar
When calculating CPD points, a course of 30 minutes or more but less than 60 minutes is eligible for half hour CPD accreditation provided that for any course with a lecture format, at least 80% of the course must be devoted to the lecture presentation.
E-learning is recognised as a form of training. However, there must be an opportunity for participants to ask questions of the course instructor(s) and to engage in discussion. If the course instructor(s) is not available, either in person or via telephone, then a qualified commentator must be available to offer comments, answer questions and lead discussion. ERA webinars and live streams take this format.
Continuous professional development can take the form of any education and study which is relevant to maintaining and developing a barrister’s professional knowledge, skills, ethics or abilities.
UK – Northern Ireland, The Law Society
UK – Scotland, Faculty of Advocates, Department of Training & Education
Training programmes are assessed according the subject matter covered and if it is suitable for CPD. An itinerary or programme and the contact details of the event organiser(s) have to be included.
UK – Scotland, Law Society
When calculating CPD points, actual time may be claimed (added up/rounded down to the nearest half an hour). E-learning is recognised as a form of training if there is a multiple-choice test at the end of the e-learning session, or if it is a virtual learning environment (VLE) where participants can discuss matters. All ERA online courses take one or both of these formats.
The onus is on the individual solicitor to undertake CPD activity which is relevant to his own practice. The activity needs to have educational aims and objectives relevant to a solicitor’s development, and the activity must have clearly anticipated outcomes. It must also have a verifiable certificate. ERA fulfils the requirements.