Much of an attorney’s development happens ‘on the job’ so we expect that the activities the attorney will undertake to meet any development needs will be activities over and above the day to day work of an attorney. Learning can be achieved through an almost inexhaustible range of activities, but many common examples may include:
· Attending or speaking at a training course or seminar
· Mentoring or being mentored
· Self-study, including reading law journals, blogs and articles on a particular topic
· Taking part in a professional network’s initiatives in relation to a particular subject area
The subject areas may be technical in nature, focussed on IP-related learning, or they may be focussed on people, practice or risk management skills, financial regulation and money laundering requirements, or ethics or environmental, social and corporate governance. See our continuing competence guidance for further examples.
The important point to remember is that the continuing competence activities should be those which address a learning need or help the attorney to develop a particular aspect of their specific practice. People learn in different ways and it is for the attorney to identify how best to undertake development activities to keep their own professional competence up to date.
IPReg no longer mandates a set number of hours of litigation and advocacy related activities for holders of Higher Courts Litigation and Advocacy certificates. Attorneys who hold those certificates, and those who practise litigation should be mindful of Rule 2.1 of the Code of Conduct at Chapter 2 of the Core Regulatory Framework, to only undertake work that is within their expertise and competence.