CHANGES TO THE CPD PROGRAM FOR 2023

At their December 2, 2022 meeting, Council of the Law Society adopted the recommendation of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) Committee that the accreditation process be discontinued, effective January 1, 2023. However, there are no other current changes to the CPD Requirements. Practising Members of the Law Society of New Brunswick will continue to need to select appropriate educational activities and comply with the Rules on Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (the Rules) and the Requirements in all respects. Members will now be required to annually certify to the Law Society that they have completed their CPD requirements. (Members will have to check a box certifying that they have completed their CPD requirements and will be expected to keep records of activities they attended as well as receipts for sessions purchased). Members are reminded that a misrepresentation to the Law Society could give rise to disciplinary proceedings.

As announced on January 11, 2023, the Law Society is in the process of updating its membership database. In this new database, there will be a CPD reporting system which will allow members to report their CPD activities (for example, the name of the activity, date, time, number of hours, etc.). Consistent with the changes outlined above, there is no longer a requirement to await review and approval of these activities by Law Society staff. The Law Society trusts that members will make choices which comply with the Rules and the Requirements. It is also through this platform that members will complete the annual certification that their CPD hours have been completed.

It is expected that the CPD component of the new database will be developed and available for your use later this spring. Until then, members are asked to manually keep track of their activities for the 2023 calendar year.

REQUIREMENTS FOR 2023

All practising members of the Society must complete and report at least 12 CPD hours by December 31 each year.  Lawyers may claim up to 2 credits each year for self-study.  The Society recommends that each member complete 50 hours of self-study each year. See the Rules on Mandatory Continuing Professional Development and the current CPD Requirements for complete information.

What types of activities qualify for credit?

Lawyers may report their participation in courses, online interative programs, writing, study groups, local bar and other meetings with an educational purpose, and for teaching.  In order to qualify for credit, the subject matter must deal exclusively with substantive law, procedural law, professional ethics, practice management or lawyering skills. If a course or another type of activity includes subject matter that does not meet the requirements, only the portion of the activity that meets the subject matter requirements will qualify for credit.

What types of activities do not qualify for credit?

Activities that are focused on firm marketing and profit maximization will not qualify for credit.

Activities and topics focused primarily at clients and pro-bono activities will not qualify for credit.