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5-step guide on building your CPD plan

Designing a CPD plan can be challenging, and it can be especially daunting for junior lawyers. To help you out, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help you design a customised continuing professional development plan for 2023.

user iconLawCPD • 02 March 2023 • Big Law
5-step guide on building your CPD plan
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  1.   Read up on the rules in your jurisdiction
The CPD rules have changed significantly in the past two years. This means that it’s essential to set aside time to understand the rules that apply in your jurisdiction – even though it might be tempting to skip this step! When researching the CPD rules, pay special attention to the number of points you need to renew your practising certificate, which competency areas you need to cover, and what counts as a CPD activity. Check out our guide to the CPD requirements to learn more about the CPD rules in your state or territory.

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  1.   Identify your knowledge gaps and interests
To find potential knowledge gaps and new interests you want to explore, start by reflecting on your past year’s challenges. Can you pinpoint a specific skill that would have helped you manage these challenging situations better? Alternatively, were you given a task during this time that piqued your interest in a particular area of law? Write down everything that comes to you. This exercise will help you see patterns emerge as to what direction you might want to take for your career – and the skill sets you need to develop.

  1.   Emphasise skills to support career progression
The legal profession is more competitive than ever. In addition to skills that you’d like to improve upon or interests you’d like to pursue, you can also look at trends in the profession to get an idea of what skills will be required of lawyers in the future. These are just some of the skills that future lawyers must master:

  1. Set S.M.A.R.T goals
S.M.A.R.T. goals. You might have heard the term before, as it’s commonly used and referred to in business methodologies, but have you ever thought of applying them to your CPD plan? Using the SMART goal-setting technique provides a clear framework to help you design professional development goals that will genuinely make an impact on your career.

Here are the five elements you should consider when defining a SMART goal.

Specific: Make sure your goals are well-defined, as this gives you a much greater chance of accomplishing them. For example, you want to build your skills and knowledge in a particular area so you can expand your practice.

Measurable: Each goal must also have at least one criterion that you can use for measuring progress to ensure you are on the right track. So, once you have built up your knowledge in a specific area, you could set a goal of taking on – or assisting a more senior lawyer – with a certain number of matters in that new area.

Achievable: Make your goal difficult enough to feel challenged, but don’t make it so far-fetched it becomes unrealistic. Setting attainable goals makes it easier for you to find ways to work towards these and feel a sense of accomplishment as you go.

Realistic: Be objective: is the goal realistic and relevant to your career? For example, are you building skills and knowledge in an area to which you will be able to contribute in the future?

Timely: Goals need to be time-bound with a clear start and finish date. Thankfully, the CPD deadline provides you with a clear timeline to complete at least 10 hours of training each year. Leverage this to your advantage, and you will have a built-in timeline to achieve your career goals.

  1.   Learn from the experts
The time and money spent on your CPD is a significant investment. So, when you’re choosing courses, make sure that you learn from the experts. By learning from an authority in the field, the quality of the content is not only more likely to be higher, but you’re more likely to see issues from different perspectives and gain invaluable insights.

Ready to get CPD-compliant? LawCPD.com.au offers over 100 hours of interactive, engaging online CPD courses you can complete on-demand 24/7. Learn more at LawCPD.com.au.

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