Yes. CPD is mandatory for all practising members.

Yes. The CPD Requirements apply to all practising members.

No. The CPD Requirements do not apply to non-practising members.

No. The CPD Requirements do not apply to non-practising members.

Each member must complete, report and certify a minimum of twelve (12) hours of CPD annually, that consists of a minimum of two (2) Professional responsibility and Ethics (PRE) hours.

Yes. By December 31st of each year, members must log into the member portal and click on the CPD reporting link to report their CPD activities.

No. It is each member's responsibility to report and certify their own hours.

As of January 1, 2023, the Law Society no longer accredits/approves CPD activities.

Please see Appendix A of the Requirements for a description of qualifying topics, with examples.

Yes. If the session you are teaching qualifies as a PRE activity, you can report it as such. However, by choosing this option, you will not be able to claim preparation time under the PRE activity category.

No. As of January 1, 2024, self-study no longer qualifies as a CPD activity and cannot be reported on the form.

Reporting multi-session conferences as a block will prevent you from reporting the portion of the session that meets PRE hour requirements. Additionally, the Law Society will be unable to confirm the specific sessions you attended as part of a multi-session, as they were not disclosed. To ensure accurate tracking, it is strongly recommended to report each session separately.

Yes. If a session covers both PRE and non-PRE material, you can report the PRE portion separately and the rest as non-PRE CPD hours. However, the same hour cannot be counted in more than one category.

Members must keep documentation for all reported CPD hours for seven (7) years and may be required to produce these records upon request by the Law Society. If asked, you must provide documents that establish the date, type of activity, content, and other relevant details, which will vary based on the activity type.

No. Once reported, the system does not allow changes to the activity type. If you need help editing or removing submitted sessions, please contact the Law Society at cpd-fpc@lsbnb.ca.

*For sessions qualifying for PRE hours, be sure to select “Professional Responsibility and Ethics” instead of “Course/Conference.”

No. Carry-over is only allowed starting January 1, 2024. Consequently, you can carry over up to six (6) extra CPD hours from 2024 to 2025. Please refer to the Requirements for details on permitted carry-over.

Yes. Starting in 2025, members must manually report any extra hours they want to carry over from the previous year. This option will be available on the CPD reporting form.

No. Pro bono work does not meet the criteria for qualifying activities.

No. However, you may report the time spent attending training sessions designated for the preparation of facilitators, evaluators or mentors as CPD activities.

In the calendar year in which you successfully complete the Law Society’s Bar Admission Program or the equivalent in another Canadian jurisdiction, you are not required to complete CPD hours.

The twelve (12) hour requirement is subject to adjustment for entering or ceasing practice during the reporting year. Members who practise law within the reporting year must complete one credit hour for each full and partial calendar month they are engaged in the practice of law in that year. The minimum of two (2) annual Professional Responsibility and Ethics hours must be maintained regardless of the date of entering or ceasing practice.

*The Communication Toolkit is required to be completed within three (3) years regardless of the length of time you held practising status between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2026.

Currently, the Law Society offers two free courses – the Business of Law Course and the Communication Toolkit. 

Also see the free course titled Anti-Money Laundering offered by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.

In addition, there are many CPD providers, such as CBA National, CBA-NB, AJEFNB, APTLA, Advocates Society, and many other organizations who offer CPD courses.

Currently, the Communication Toolkit is a mandatory course for all practising members. The Business of Law Course is also mandatory for some members, as per section 11 of the Rules on Mandatory Continuing Professional Development under the Law Society Act, 1996.  A link to the courses is available here.

Yes. The Communication Toolkit qualifies for PRE hours and can be reported in the calendar year it is completed. However, you cannot retake the same course each year to meet your PRE minimum requirements.

CPD questions may be directed to the Law Society by telephone at (506) 458-8540 or by email at cpd-fpc@lsbnb.ca.