Required CPD for trainees

The following activities could be included as required CPD for trainees:

• courses
• seminars
• lectures
• conferences
• briefings
• role plays
• simulated transactions and case studies
• workshops
• online learning and distance learning courses

TCPD can focus on skills (eg negotiation skills, advocacy, presentation skills), on legal knowledge (eg any knowledge update relevant to a trainee's practice), on ethics or on business, commercial, financial and practice awareness.

This is CPD that is specifically designed for trainees. The list of providers of authorised required CPD for trainees is further down this page.

Please note though that these providers may offer general CPD for solicitors as well as authorised required CPD for trainees; so make sure the session you are signing up to is definitely authorised required CPD for trainees.  If in doubt, contact the provider to clarify before signing up. 

If a provider says it provides required CPD for trainees and it does not appear on the list of providers on this page, the course will not count as authorised required CPD for trainees. However, you can count it towards your non-authorised allocation.

Up to 20 hours of required CPD for trainees can come from non-authorised sources, which means those that don't appear on the authorised required CPD for trainees providers list further down this page.

There are many private organisations which offer very good required CPD for trainees which would be of benefit to trainees. Some examples are local faculties, advocates' stables or other professional bodies (eg ICAS, RICS etc). Some firms and employers may offer internal required CPD for trainees, or specific trainee-targeted required CPD for trainees while not being an authorised provider. These sessions could count towards a trainee's non-authorised required CPD.

Non-authorised required CPD for trainees should be recorded in the same way, should be able to be verified and should focus on the PEAT 2 outcomes.

No. Personal study is expected as part of the traineeship and background reading prior to required CPD for trainees events may be very useful. However, reading cannot count towards authorised required CPD for trainees provision or for non-authorised required CPD for trainees provision, as it is not verifiable.

A firm or organisation which takes trainees can apply for authorisation to offer the minimum of 40 hours' required CPD for trainees as an authorised provider. If a firm or organisation does not feel that becoming an authorised provider of required CPD for trainees is an option for them, it is still possible for them to offer up to 20 hours of non-authorised provision to its trainees. For example, if a firm ran update sessions on certain areas of law for all staff then this could be counted be as non-authorised required CPD for trainees. It is important to note that, in order to be able to count as non-authorised required CPD for trainees, such sessions must still be focused on the PEAT 2 outcomes, be recorded in the same way and be able to be verified.

It is possible for any firm or organisation to offer the up to 20 hours of non-authorised provision to its trainees.

You are required to log any required CPD for trainees that you undertake during your traineeship as part of your PEAT 2 record.

It will be the responsibility of you and your training solicitor to identify appropriate required CPD for trainees to support your development and achievement of the PEAT 2 outcomes. You will be responsible for logging completed required CPD for trainees through the PEAT 2 record. Authorised providers of required CPD for trainees will supply us with attendance lists for required CPD for trainees events and your record will be checked against the authorised provider's list. An automated process in the database will check that required CPD for trainees details are being entered and emails will be issued to you at key points during the two-year contract to ensure that at least the minimum of 60 hours' required CPD for trainees is completed.

The requirement for trainees to undertake required CPD for trainees is part of the Admission as a Solicitor (Scotland) Regulations 2019. Therefore, failure to comply with these requirements may result in you not being admitted as solicitor. For trainees seeking to be admitted following the first year of their traineeship, a minimum of 20 hours of required CPD for trainees must have been undertaken.

A trainee may not be discharged until they have completed the required CPD for trainees requirements. If for any reason you suspect that you may not be able to comply with the required CPD for trainees requirements, please contact us as soon as possible.

We maintain a travel and accommodation fund, to assist those who are training in more remote parts of Scotland and who require to travel long distances and/or stay overnight in order to access appropriate required CPD for trainees. Trainees can apply for this assistance by using this application form. Details of the assistance available can be found on the application form and in the accompanying notes to that form. For further information or guidance on this matter, please contact Louise Bradley in the Education, Training and Qualifications team at louisebradley@lawscot.org.uk.