The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) website offers a guide containing all the information you need to know to satisfy your annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Hours requirement.

Below, we provide a summary of the most notable points from the LSO’s online guide.

Defining CPD

• The Law Society of Ontario defines CPD as “the maintenance and enhancement of a lawyer’s or paralegal’s professional knowledge, skills, attitudes and professionalism throughout the individual’s career”.

• CPD programs are formal, instruction-based sessions offered by organizations or individuals such as education providers, law associations, law firms, in-house legal departments, government associations, industry groups, lawyers, paralegals, or other professionals.    
  
  

Annual CPD Hours Requirements

• Lawyers and paralegals who practice law or provide legal services must complete at least 12 CPD Hours in each calendar year.

• Lawyers and paralegals must complete at least 3 Professionalism Hours on topics related to professional responsibility, ethics and/or practice management, and up to 9 Substantive Hours per year.

• Out of the 3 required Professionalism Hours, at least 1 hour must be focused on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Reporting CPD Hours

• Lawyers and paralegals must report their CPD Hours via the online Law Society Portal by March 31 of the year following the calendar year in which the CPD Requirement applies.

• Lawyers and paralegals who fail to complete and report on annual CPD Hours by the March 31 deadline will be in default and may immediately receive an administrative suspension.

Eligible Activities – Professionalism Hours

• Only Professionalism Hours, including EDI Professionalism Hours, must be accredited by the Law Society – see the following LSO webpage for information on the standards and requirements for accreditation: CPD Accreditation for Licensees

• See the following LSO webpages for lists of accredited EDI programs:
  • CPD Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Requirement
  • CPD – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Content

Eligible Activities – Substantive Hours

• The remaining 9 Substantive Hours do not need to be accredited by the LSO.  

• Substantive Hours may address substantive or procedural law topics.

• Non-legal topics may also qualify as Substantive Hours if they relate to the lawyer’s or paralegal’s practice and professional development.

• See a list of Eligible Educational Activities at the following LSO webpage: Eligible Educational Activities

If you have any further questions about the CPD Hours requirement, you may be able to find your answer at the following LSO webpage: FAQs

Thank you for reading and have a great day!

James