Online CPD
Welcome to Piddington’s Online CPD offering!
This suite of CPD is recorded at our events and adjusted for online. We have made sure you get the same Piddington quality and collegiality you can expect.
Over the years, we have built up an extensive bank of CPD sessions for you to choose from. Each session includes a series of questions to help you review the content. With options across all competency areas, we hope you find something you want to watch or listen to.
Proceeds from online CPD go toward The Piddington Society’s access to justice programs.
Should you have any questions - or suggestions for sessions - please contact us at pidsoc@pidsoc.org.au
Please note:
Some sessions were recorded before the current CPD year. In accordance with Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act (2022), Legal Profession Uniform Continuing Professional Development (Solicitors) Rules (2015) and Legal Profession Uniform Continuing Professional Development (Barristers) Rules (2015), the sessions and questions are regularly reviewed for relevance, and changed or deleted where appropriate.
Unless otherwise marked, all of our sessions are considered “interactive”.
Specialist hubs
Popular sessions
Out of Office: Craig Sanderson
Craig Sanderson served as a Master of the Supreme Court of Western Australia from 1996 until his retirement in June 2023. Across the course of his service, he became a prominent and revered judicial officer across a very wide range of matters.
In this session, free from the constraints of judicial office, Mr Sanderson, as he now is, will share his reflections on his time, including considering the role of Master, developments in law and practice generally. He provides remarks and takes questions from attendees, led by Amy Pascoe.
Kate McDonald, then the Acting Master, provides closing remarks.
CPD points: 0.5 in CA2 (Professional Skills) and 0.5 in CA3 (Ethics and Professional Responsibility).
Recorded between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Rule of Evidence - When don’t they apply?
Commissions and tribunals are not bound to apply the rules of evidence in the same way as courts. In some matters the rules do not apply at all.
It can be confusing to understand when and how they apply.
This session involves presentations from his Honour Judge Henry Jackson (Deputy President, State Administrative Tribunal) and Commissioner Toni Emmanuel (WA Industrial Relations Commission) about the application of the rules, including the context as to why commissions and tribunals have been created in the way they have been, clarifying their use across multiple jurisdictions and understanding the application of practice directions and case law on the matter.
CPD points: 1 in CA4 (Substantive Law).
Recorded between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
Time Management: A User’s Guide
We have all been there: Overwhelmed by work, with more piling up and wondering how we can manage it all. In this session, join practitioners from different parts of the profession who will share their insight and advice on managing their workflow.
Speakers are Demi Swain (Bennett), Kate Turtley-Chappel (Legal Pathways), Curtis Ward (Clairs Keeley) and Lucy Wardle (MDC Legal) who will discuss their practices and strategies for staying on top of their work, getting ahead, how to manage competing priorities, managing up and dealing with an influx of work.
CPD: 0.5 CA1 (Practice Management).
Recorded between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Tax Deductions for Lawyers and Legal Practices
For lawyers and legal practices, every year around tax time we need clarifications and want to know what can be deducted. We usually need to be more on top of it than before June 30 comes around.
Joshua Haque (Pitcher Partners) will provide a presentation and answer questions on this topic. He will cover everything from what you can cover as an individual lawyer, including CPD/training, your home office and more, through to options for practices to maximise your spend.
CPD points: 0.5 CA1 (Practice Management), 0.5 CA4 (Substantive Law).
Recorded between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
THE BOYLES - 50 YEARS IN LAW
Shortly following their retirement as Registrars of the Supreme Court of Western Australia for 25 and 20 years, respectively, Sandra and Christopher Boyle reflect on what they have learned across five decades in law, what makes a good lawyer, what makes a good mediator and what they see developing in practice.
CPD points: 1 point in CA3 (Ethics and Professional Responsibility).
Recorded between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.
Costs and the uniform profession law
Join legal costs expert Amy Pascoe as she provides a comprehensive update to legal costs and the uniform profession law, including highlighting some issues she is seeing arise now the law is in place.
CPD points: 0.5 CPD points in CA1 (Practice Management).
Recorded between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Getting to yes
Negotiations and mediations can require lawyers to explain why, when and how an offer can benefit clients to avoid protract actions.
In this session, mediators and lawyers will discuss engaging parties early to resolve disputes in shorter timeframes. Consideration is paid to mediation and negotiation processes, unwilling personalities and approaches like best alternatives.
Registrar Jacquie Kubacz (District Court of Western Australia), who won Mediator of the Year at the 2024 Australian Alternative Dispute Resolution Awards, is in discussion with Toby Barrie (Barry Nilson).
CPD points: 1 CA2 (Professional Skills).
Recorded between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2025.
Piddington AI Program
The expanded use of artificial intelligence is having a profound impact on the profession. With practice directions from the Courts, new platforms and yet-to-be answered questions about how to govern and manage AI law firms, Piddington has decided to create the Piddington AI Program.
In consultation with the profession, judiciary and technical experts, the Piddington AI Program covers what goes into AI and how it works, the tools practitioners and firms are using today and how AI can be governed and managed in a legal workplace.
All sessions in the Piddington AI Program were recorded between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
How AI works: Fiona McLay (McLay Legal Consulting) explains what AI is and how it works. This 101 of AI doesn't assume any technical understand of the technology and will assist in grasping how AI works.
CPD: 0.5 points in CA1 (Practice Management) and 0.5 in CA2 (Professional Skills)
How to use AI: Angus Lang SC (NSW Bar) is a leading legal practitioner and sought-after contributor on intellectual property law and AI, addressing developments in Australia and Europe. Katherine Thomas (CIE Legal) is an expert in the business of law.
Mr Lang considers issues related to practice management and the application of AI, while Ms Thomas considers the options for AI in the operations of a law firm and legal practice.
CPD: 0.5 points in CA1 (Practice Management) and 0.5 in CA4 (Substantive Law)
Ethical and governance considerations: By this session you will understand how AI works and what you can do with it, this session is focused on how to control it in a legal environment, considering relevant professional regulation and obligations. Speakers are Russell Daily (Legal Services and Complaints Officer, Legal Practice Board of WA) and Janie Plant (Capgemini).
CPD: 1 point in CA3 (Ethics and Professional Responsibility)
Reading financial documents - a guide for lawyers
Lawyers and numbers don't always go well together. Spreadsheets, financial accounts and audits can seem like a foreign language, but is an essential skill to understand.
Rhiannon Clews (Pitcher Partners) covers profit and less, balance sheets and notes to financial statements.
CPD points: 0.5 points in CA1 (Practice Management); 0.5 points in CA2 (Professional Skills).
Recorded between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022.
THE HON CHRISTINE WHEELER AO QC & THE HON MICHAEL KIRBY AC CMG
One of our most popular sessions, join two judicial luminaries in conversation on ethics and what it means to be a lawyer.
CPD points: 1 point in CA3 (Ethics and Professional Responsibility).
Recorded prior to 31 December 2019.
The Right to Disconnect: Issues for lawyers and clients
As part of a sweep of changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act), the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 has created a “right to disconnect”. This “right”, and its enforcement regime, will be contained in a New Division 6 to Part 2-9 of the FW Act. It will comprise of about five significant new statutory provisions, and a handful of relatively bespoke exemption provisions, that will be construed by decision-makers, debated by lawyers, and applied in practice by employees and employers.
Barrister Justin Pen walks through the law with consideration generally and that for lawyers and legal practices.
CPD allocation: 0.5 in CA1 (Practice Management), 0.5 in CA4 (Substantive Law).
The Hon Rene Le Miere KC: What Judges Want
Now off the bench, the Hon Rene Le Miere KC reflects on an almost two-decade judicial career.
Mr Le Miere shares insights on preparation, advocacy and ethics in how to be a better lawyer, support your clients and achieve resolutions.
CPD allocation: 0.5 points in CA2 (Professional Skills) and 0.5 points in CA3 (Ethics and Professional Responsibility).
Recorded between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Workplace Wellbeing
Managing our mental health can be hard, and is only more difficult when clients have complex and traumatic issues.
In this session, clinical psychologist Stephen Cohen and barrister Marion Buchanan cover a range of topics from self-management to organisational issues. They speak on topics including the categories of mental health issues facing lawyers and courts, realistic expectations for clients and those for individual lawyers.
CPD points: 1 in CA1 (Practice Management)
Balancing careers
Many parents aren't just managing raising children and their own careers, they are also having to consider the career and ambitions of their partner, too.
In this session, we have brought together her Honour Judge Natalie Whitby (District Court of Western Australia) with her husband the Hon Reece Whitby MLA (Minister for Environment and Climate Action) who will discuss how they mutually have pursued their own careers and raised four children as a team.
This session is led by Felicity McLeish (Wright Prospecting) and consideration will be given to issues around dealing with deadlines and high-pressure workplaces and jobs, home-life structures that allow people to maintain demanding work, prioritising family responsibilities over those at work and escaping the stress of work and family demands.
CPD points: 0.5 CPD points in CA1 (Practice Management) and 0.5 CPD points in CA3 (Ethics and Professional Responsibility).
Recorded between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022.