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So was born “[[continuing professional development]]”, a stipulation whereby [[Mediocre lawyer|solicitors]] must periodically re-educate themselves on germane issues. It is not greatly onerous — a few hours, spread over a year, is all you need — though across an entire profession that is no small demand on total capability. Law firms beheld a great marketing opportunity: a jaunty breakfast seminar for their in-house clients, followed by [[networking]]: a chance to renew acquaintances over a salmon bagel. | So was born “[[continuing professional development]]”, a stipulation whereby [[Mediocre lawyer|solicitors]] must periodically re-educate themselves on germane issues. It is not greatly onerous — a few hours, spread over a year, is all you need — though across an entire profession that is no small demand on total capability. Law firms beheld a great marketing opportunity: a jaunty breakfast seminar for their in-house clients, followed by [[networking]]: a chance to renew acquaintances over a salmon bagel. | ||
Make no mistake: free bacon sandwiches are great. Most jobbing solicitors need no more incentive than that. If the room is | Make no mistake: free bacon sandwiches are great. Most jobbing solicitors need no more incentive to show up than that. If the room is large and dark enough there is scope for a few winks. ([[Freshfields]] London has an excellently dingy auditorium, by the way, with premium snooze opportunities at the back). In brighter forums, it is a chance to catch up on Twitter, [[LinkedIn]] or follow the [[cricket]]. | ||
In all other ways it is a total waste of time. | |||
Of course, there is no practical way to ensure a [[CPD]] hour is well spent. Who can say if such an hour is vocational, useful, relevant or whether, having signed the register, young sir spent any part of that hour present, let alone paying attention? The Americans had a crack at this by interposing a random number, to be read out at a random moment, which all candidates needed to quote in their compliance attestation to prove these elements. But even then only one brave attorney need sit through the morass for the greater good of the whole. | |||
Let’s pretend for a moment you do show up, and pay attention, to a topical talk for your CPD points. Will it make a difference? Will that be the thing that staves off a bout of professional negligence? No-one who has spent an hour before a wizened solicitor mumbling through a dense [[PowerPoint]] deck about the transaction reporting regime under [[MiFID 2]] could believe that. | |||
But hurry along - the blueberry and bran muffins are going fast. | |||
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