Continuing Competance

January 2016

Abstract

The need to undertake mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) has prompted groans across the profession for over a quarter of a century, with solicitors scrabbling at the last minute to sign up to any courses they can find in order to complete the requisite 16 hours before the end of the CPD year. But that is soon to be a thing of the past. A new ‘continuing competence’ regime will be implemented for all solicitors from November 2016. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced the change last May following a consultation and some early adopters have already been using the new approach since the spring. The change however, appears to have gone un-noticed by some in the profession. A small snapshot survey carried out in July by training providers Law CPD Solutions showed that only 35% of the 42 respondents had looked at the details of the new regime and 30% had not looked at it at all. But what is all the fuss about and what does the new regime mean for firms?

Author

Mark Solon

Managing Director & Solicitor, Wilmington, UK

Mark Solon is the Chairman of the Legal Division of Wilmington Plc. Mark Solon is acknowledged as one of the UK’s leading experts on expert witnesses, investigatory practice, witness familiarisation and continuing professional development. He is a solicitor, a qualified Attorney at Law in California and has an MSc in Shipping Trade and Finance with distinction from the City University. He has been instrumental in improving the standard of expert evidence over the last twenty years and regularly chairs conferences of up to 500 delegates as well as speaking at many conferences. He has written numerous articles relating to evidence and several books. He has in depth knowledge of the legal and evidential issues around forensic science, emergency planning, surveillance and the work of many specialist intelligence and prosecution agencies. He frequently appears on television and radio dealing with evidential issues. He has been described by one senior expert witness under his cross-examination as “the love child of Stephen Hawking and a Rottweiler.” Mark founded Bond Solon in 1992 and the company has since grown to become the largest provider of law related training to non-lawyers.

Company

Wilmington

Wilmington Plc turns over around £125m pa and Mark’s Legal Division includes Central Law Training in England and Wales, Scotland and Eire and provides training, conferences, professional support services and information including legal continuing professional development, expert witness training, databases, magazines and specialist reports. The Division runs around 5000 events every year.

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