CPD Recognition

Document ref: LCP-REC-2026-01 · Effective from: February 2026

1. The Role of LegalCPD

LegalCPD is an independent accreditation body. It does not deliver training, produce course materials, or employ trainers. Its sole function is the independent assessment and accreditation of continuing professional development activities delivered by approved training providers.

This structural separation between accreditation and delivery is deliberate. It ensures that the quality assessment is objective, that the accreditation mark carries independent weight, and that professionals and employers can trust the standard without concern about commercial conflicts of interest.

2. What Accreditation Means

When a CPD activity carries the LegalCPD accreditation mark, it means the activity has been independently assessed against five published criteria:

• Clear learning objectives aligned to professional practice
• Accurate, current, and legally sound content
• A method of assessing or confirming participant learning
• Delivery by appropriately qualified and experienced trainers
• Systematic collection and use of participant feedback

The assessment is conducted by LegalCPD assessors with subject-matter expertise in the relevant field. Activities that meet the required standard receive the LegalCPD accreditation mark, a unique reference number, and a CPD hours allocation.

3. For Professionals

Professionals who complete a LegalCPD-accredited activity receive a certificate of completion from the training provider. This certificate carries the LegalCPD accreditation mark, the unique activity reference number, and the allocated CPD hours.

This certificate can be used in CPD records, professional development portfolios, annual appraisals, and regulatory submissions. The LegalCPD reference number allows employers, regulators, and professional bodies to verify the accreditation status of the activity.

LegalCPD accreditation is designed to complement, not replace, the CPD requirements of any statutory regulator or professional body. Professionals should satisfy themselves that any activity they undertake meets the specific CPD requirements of their regulator, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority, CILEx Regulation, the Enforcement Conduct Board, or any other applicable body. In most cases, an activity that has met the LegalCPD standard will also satisfy broader CPD requirements, but it is the responsibility of the individual professional to confirm this.

4. For Employers and Compliance Teams

Employers, HR departments, and compliance teams can accept CPD activities carrying the LegalCPD accreditation mark as evidence of quality-assured professional development. The accreditation confirms that the activity has been independently assessed against published criteria by a body that is structurally separate from the training provider.

The LegalCPD accreditation mark provides a consistent quality signal across different training providers, delivery formats, and subject areas. This simplifies CPD review and approval processes, particularly for organisations whose staff work across multiple areas of enforcement, litigation, credit management, and regulatory compliance.

Key features for employers:

• Independent assessment by a body with no commercial relationship to the training provider
• Published standards that are transparent and consistently applied
• A unique reference number for each accredited activity, verifiable through the LegalCPD Register
• Allocated CPD hours based on the assessed learning content, not simply the duration of the activity
• Quality assurance that covers content accuracy, trainer qualifications, learning outcomes, and participant feedback

5. For Training Providers

LegalCPD accreditation is available to approved training providers delivering CPD activities within the scope of the LegalCPD framework. Providers include independent trainers, commercial training organisations, professional bodies, membership organisations, law firms, and in-house training departments.

Accreditation offers providers an independent quality mark that demonstrates their activities have been assessed against a recognised standard. This supports marketing to prospective participants and their employers, and provides evidence of quality for regulatory or contractual compliance purposes.

The accreditation process is designed to be thorough but proportionate. LegalCPD recognises that providers operate under commercial and practical constraints, and the requirements are calibrated accordingly. The aim is quality assurance that adds genuine value, not administrative burden.

LegalCPD is currently working with selected pre-approved providers. Information about the accreditation process is available on the Standards and Governance pages.

6. Verification

The accreditation status of any activity can be verified using the unique LegalCPD reference number issued at the time of accreditation. Each accredited activity is assigned a reference number that confirms the provider, activity title, CPD hours allocation, and accreditation period.

Activities that do not carry a valid LegalCPD reference number should not be described as LegalCPD-accredited. Professionals and employers who are uncertain about the accreditation status of an activity should contact the relevant training provider for clarification.

7. Regulatory Context

LegalCPD is not a statutory regulator. LegalCPD accreditation is a voluntary quality mark that operates independently of, and in addition to, the CPD requirements of statutory regulators and professional bodies. Where there is any conflict between LegalCPD accreditation criteria and the requirements of a statutory regulator, the requirements of the statutory regulator take precedence.

LegalCPD accreditation does not confer any statutory rights or obligations. It does not replace the need for professionals to comply with the requirements of their relevant regulatory body, nor does it guarantee that any particular regulator will accept an accredited activity as qualifying CPD. However, the LegalCPD standards are designed to be consistent with and supportive of the CPD expectations of the principal regulators operating across the enforcement, legal, and credit management sectors.