A recurring difficulty acknowledged generally by the solicitors’ profession relates to indifferent management, such as poor communication with clients or shortcomings in financial management. For this reason, a minimum number of three hours of the minimum CPD requirement in each CPD cycle is required to be spent on education/training in management and professional development skills relevant to the practice of a solicitor at the time it is undertaken or in the future. As defined in the Regulations “management and professional development skills includes education or training (or both) in any one or more of, or a combination

of, the following areas:

(i) financial and business management,

(ii) practice management,

(iii) self-management,

(iv) professional,

(v) regulatory matters,

(vi) client care,

(vii) Irish or English language enhancement as it relates to the practice of law,

(viii) foreign language enhancement as it relates to the practice of law”.

Although included in the much wider definition of management and professional development skills, regulatory matters, because of their particular relevance and importance, are also separately specifically defined in the Regulations as: “matters relating to the Solicitors Acts 1954 to 2008 and regulations made there under, to the current Guide to Professional Conduct of Solicitors in Ireland, to the maintenance of standards and best practice in complying with regulatory obligations applicable to solicitors, to the processing of complaints against solicitors by the Society and to the functions of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and the Courts in relation to solicitors and decisions relating thereto”. The “regulatory obligations applicable to solicitors” would include the obligations imposed on solicitors under the anti-money laundering legislation as well as other statutory-based ethical compliance issues; which issues can overlap with matters which would also fall under the definition and meaning of management and professional development skills. Other than in respect of a senior practitioner, a minimum of one hour of the minimum CPD requirement in each CPD cycle is required to be spent on education/training in regulatory matters, even for a solicitor who is otherwise entitled to a modified minimum CPD requirement.