Australian legal CPD requirements

Requirement profiles for solicitors and barristers, with official sources and review dates.

Cupid supports CPD record keeping. It does not certify compliance or replace guidance from your regulator.

New South Wales

New South Wales sets separate requirements for solicitors and barristers. Read the New South Wales scheme in full.

Solicitors

10 points

Reviewed

Law Society of New South Wales1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Law Society of New South Wales
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Private study of audio/visual material: 5 maximum
  • Research, preparation or editing of legal articles: 5 maximum
  • Preparation and presentation of CPD activities: 5 maximum
  • Membership of legal committees, taskforces or practice sections: 3 maximum
Carry-over
A maximum of 3 points completed between 1 January and 31 March may be carried into the following CPD year and cannot be counted twice.

Official sources

Barristers

10 points

Reviewed

New South Wales Bar Association1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
New South Wales Bar Association
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law, Practice and Procedure and Evidence: 1 minimum
  • Barristers' Skills: 1 minimum
  • Equality and Wellbeing: 1 minimum
Carry-over
No carry-over rule is recorded in this profile.
Notes
  • Equality and Wellbeing is a mandatory category from 1 April 2026 under the Amendment (Mandatory CPD) Rule 2025.
  • A CPD point is earned for each completed hour (Uniform Barristers CPD Rule 7); part hours are not counted.

Official sources

Victoria

Victoria sets separate requirements for solicitors and barristers. Read the Victoria scheme in full.

Solicitors

10 points

Reviewed

Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Private study of audio/visual material: 5 maximum
  • Research, preparation or editing of legal articles: 5 maximum
  • Preparation and presentation of CPD activities: 5 maximum
  • Membership of legal committees, taskforces or practice sections: 3 maximum
Carry-over
A maximum of 3 points completed between 1 January and 31 March may be carried into the following CPD year and cannot be counted twice.

Official sources

Barristers

10 points

Reviewed

Victorian Bar (with the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner)1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Victorian Bar (with the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner)
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law, Practice and Procedure and Evidence: 1 minimum
  • Barristers' Skills: 1 minimum
  • Equality and Wellbeing: 1 minimum
Caps
  • A subject or unit of an advanced study course in law: 8 maximum
  • Preparing a CPD program or unit of study: 2 maximum
  • Presenting a CPD program or unit of study for the first time in the CPD year: 8 maximum
  • Publishing, editing or updating a book, loose-leaf service or article: 5 maximum
  • Law reporting: 8 maximum
  • A submission to government, a law reform body or an inquiry: 5 maximum
  • A Victorian Bar, Law Council or Australian Bar Association committee, taskforce or section: 3 maximum
Carry-over
No carry-over rule is recorded in this profile.
Notes
  • Equality and Wellbeing is a mandatory category from 1 April 2026 under the Amendment (Mandatory CPD) Rule 2025.
  • A CPD point is earned for each completed hour (Uniform Barristers CPD Rule 7); part hours are not counted.
  • The Victorian Bar CPD Policy sets each cap for one subject, program, work or committee. Cupid applies each cap to the whole CPD year instead, which can under-count several separate activities of the same kind.

Official sources

Queensland

Queensland sets separate requirements for solicitors and barristers. Read the Queensland scheme in full.

Solicitors

10 points

Reviewed

Queensland Law Society1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Queensland Law Society
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Practical Legal Ethics: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Research, preparation or editing of legal articles: 5 maximum
  • Preparation of CPD activities: 5 maximum
  • Presentation of CPD activities: 5 maximum
  • Legal committee participation: 3 maximum
Carry-over
Points earned between 1 January and 31 March may be counted in either the current or the following CPD year, but only once.
Notes
  • Queensland has no substantive law minimum, but substantive law activities still count towards the 10 points.
  • Private study of an audio or visual recording has no annual cap under the Queensland scheme.
  • Engaging in ordinary legal practice is not a CPD activity.
  • Committee participation can only be claimed in a CPD year in which you do not also claim for preparing or presenting CPD material, or for a published article.
  • Completing every assessment for a specialist accreditation program, or for the practice management course, is treated as 10 points for that CPD year.

Official sources

Barristers

10 points

Reviewed

Bar Association of Queensland1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Bar Association of Queensland
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law, Practice and Procedure and Evidence: 1 minimum
  • Barristers' Skills: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Legal journal publication per year: 6 maximum
  • Approved Hearsay article per year: 3 maximum
  • Law-reform submission per year: 4 maximum
  • University moot judging per year: 6 maximum
  • Lecturing at undergraduate level or above per year: 6 maximum
  • Marking Bar Practice exams per year: 4 maximum
Carry-over
Points earned between 1 January and 31 March may be carried into the following CPD year, but can only be counted once; a conference or seminar must stay in one CPD year.
Notes
  • Barristers must submit their Schedule 5 CPD record to the Bar Association by 14 April each year.
  • The current BAQ policy caps live or recorded online viewing at 5 points per year, with a rural/regional exemption available under the policy.
  • Readers must complete the Essential Learning Program and compulsory Reader CPD; these count toward, but do not replace, the ordinary 10-point requirement.
  • Paid presentations and other paid attendance do not attract CPD points under the current BAQ policy.
  • Attendance, chairing/facilitating and presenting use different point rates; do not double count the same session.
  • Preparing a presentation earns no points under the current BAQ policy.

Official sources

Western Australia

Western Australia sets separate requirements for solicitors and barristers. Read the Western Australia scheme in full.

Solicitors

10 points

Reviewed

Legal Practice Board of Western Australia1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Legal Practice Board of Western Australia
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law: 1 minimum
Interactive minimum
At least 5 of the 10 points must come from interactive activities: live sessions or webinars, face-to-face activities where questions can be asked, activities with a testing or assessment component, or eligible publication activities.
Caps
  • Private study of audio/visual material: 5 maximum
  • Research, preparation or editing of legal articles: 5 maximum
  • Preparation and presentation of CPD activities: 5 maximum
  • Membership of legal committees, taskforces or practice sections: 3 maximum
Carry-over
A maximum of 3 solicitor points completed between 1 January and 31 March may be carried into the following CPD year if the current year's requirements remain met.
Notes
  • WA joined the Uniform Law scheme on 1 July 2022; the Uniform CPD (Solicitors) Rules apply.

Official sources

Barristers

10 points

Reviewed

Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (Western Australian Bar Association)1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (Western Australian Bar Association)
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law, Practice and Procedure and Evidence: 1 minimum
  • Barristers' Skills: 1 minimum
  • Equality and Wellbeing: 1 minimum
Interactive minimum
At least 5 of the 10 points must come from interactive activities: live sessions or webinars, face-to-face activities where questions can be asked, activities with a testing or assessment component, or eligible publication activities.
Carry-over
No carry-over rule is recorded in this profile.
Notes
  • Equality and Wellbeing is a mandatory category from 1 April 2026 under the Amendment (Mandatory CPD) Rule 2025.

Official sources

South Australia

South Australia runs one CPD scheme covering solicitors and barristers. Read the South Australia scheme in full.

All practitioners

10 points

Reviewed

Law Society of South Australia1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Law Society of South Australia
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Practical Legal Ethics: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management or Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills: 1 minimum
  • Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Viewing or listening to recorded or web-based material: 5 maximum
  • Preparing material for any one seminar or workshop: 4 maximum
  • Publishing, substantively editing or refereeing an article: 5 maximum
  • Committee membership and meeting attendance: 5 maximum
Carry-over
Points completed between 1 January and 31 March may be allocated to the current or the following CPD year, but only once; for barristers, Bar-sponsored points carried forward are capped at 5.
Notes
  • South Australia runs one CPD scheme covering solicitors and barristers.
  • The Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment unit is mandatory from 1 April 2021.

Official sources

Tasmania

Tasmania sets separate requirements for solicitors and barristers. Read the Tasmania scheme in full.

Solicitors

10 points

Reviewed

Law Society of Tasmania1 May to 30 AprilOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Law Society of Tasmania
CPD year
1 May to 30 April
Mandatory categories
  • Practical Legal Ethics: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management or Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law: 1 minimum
  • Equality and Wellbeing: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Preparing material for seminars, live webinars, workshops, lectures, conferences, courses or discussion groups: 4 maximum
  • Viewing, listening to or preparing multimedia, web-based or recorded material: 5 maximum
  • Non-award tertiary courses per year: 5 maximum
  • Publishing, committee participation and attendance/preparation/presentation conducted within a legal practice, combined: 3 maximum
  • CPD points in any single day: 6 maximum
Carry-over
Points accrued in February, March or April above the current year's 10-point minimum may be assigned to the following CPD year, but only once.
Notes
  • Tasmania's CPD year runs 1 May to 30 April. It is the only jurisdiction that differs from the standard 1 April to 31 March year.
  • Tasmania uses one CPD guideline for all practitioners, but barristers do not need the Practice Management point. Their Professional Skills point must concern advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, research or other barristers' work.

Official sources

Barristers

10 points

Reviewed

Law Society of Tasmania1 May to 30 AprilOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Law Society of Tasmania
CPD year
1 May to 30 April
Mandatory categories
  • Practical Legal Ethics: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills for Barristers: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law: 1 minimum
  • Equality and Wellbeing: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Preparing material for seminars, live webinars, workshops, lectures, conferences, courses or discussion groups: 4 maximum
  • Viewing, listening to or preparing multimedia, web-based or recorded material: 5 maximum
  • Non-award tertiary courses per year: 5 maximum
  • Publishing, committee participation and attendance/preparation/presentation conducted within a legal practice, combined: 3 maximum
  • CPD points in any single day: 6 maximum
Carry-over
Points accrued in February, March or April above the current year's 10-point minimum may be assigned to the following CPD year, but only once.
Notes
  • Tasmania's CPD year runs 1 May to 30 April. It is the only jurisdiction that differs from the standard 1 April to 31 March year.
  • Tasmania uses one CPD guideline for all practitioners, but barristers do not need the Practice Management point. Their Professional Skills point must concern advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, research or other barristers' work.

Official sources

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory sets separate requirements for solicitors and barristers. Read the Australian Capital Territory scheme in full.

Solicitors

10 points

Reviewed

Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law and Procedural Law: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Preparation or presentation of CPD activities: 5 maximum
  • Writing or structural editing of legal articles: 5 maximum
  • Legal committee participation: 3 maximum
Carry-over
Up to 3 points completed between 1 January and 31 March may be counted in the following CPD year after the current requirement is met.

Official sources

Barristers

10 points

Reviewed

ACT Bar Association1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
ACT Bar Association
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Ethics and Regulation of the Profession: 1 minimum
  • Management: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law, Practice and Procedure and Evidence: 1 minimum
  • Advocacy, Mediation and other Barristers' Skills: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Active engagement in online legal programs: 6 maximum
Carry-over
No carry-over rule is recorded in this profile.

Official sources

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory runs one CPD scheme covering solicitors and barristers. Read the Northern Territory scheme in full.

All practitioners

10 points

Reviewed

Law Society Northern Territory1 April to 31 MarchOfficial source
View categories, caps and sources
Regulator
Law Society Northern Territory
CPD year
1 April to 31 March
Mandatory categories
  • Professional Ethics and Responsibilities: 1 minimum
  • Practice Management and Business Skills: 1 minimum
  • Professional Skills in Legal Practice: 1 minimum
  • Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment: 1 minimum
  • Substantive Law: 1 minimum
Caps
  • Private study per year: 5 maximum
  • Preparation of legal articles per year: 5 maximum
  • Committee participation per year: 3 maximum
  • Attending lectures as part of postgraduate studies per year: 5 maximum
  • Postgraduate assignments and theses per year: 5 maximum
Carry-over
Points accrued within the 3 months before or after a CPD year may be claimed for that year, but each activity may be claimed in only one CPD year; post-year points must be declared in the certificate and supplementary certificate.
Notes
  • The Northern Territory runs one CPD scheme covering solicitors and barristers.
  • An approved specialist accreditation examination earns 10 points in the CPD year of successful completion.

Official sources