The Law Society’s Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Tool allows lawyers to describe learning activities they will carry out to enhance or develop the competencies they have chosen to focus on for the year. The CPD Tool incorporates reflective practice, which is itself a type of learning activity because lawyers learn from reflecting on their practice. Lawyers are encouraged to learn more about this practice before using the CPD Tool to create a plan for the year.

To get the most out of professional development activities, lawyers need to reflect on and self-assess their existing knowledge, skills and attitudes, as well as their strengths and areas for improvement. The CPD Tool includes a proficiency scale that can be used as a guide when self-assessing proficiency in any competency that is chosen to be developed or enhanced.

It can be challenging to self-assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and reflective practice helps to develop the ability to self-assess in an honest and constructive way. It also helps to reflect on what was learned during any professional development activity that was undertaken as part of an annual CPD plan and whether the activities have increased the proficiency in the associated competency in ways that show up in practice.

See the free Reflective Practice course to learn what reflective practice is and where it comes from, the different kinds of reflection, why it is important to lawyers and what it takes to become a reflective practitioner.