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Attending outside events where the latest issues are reported and discussed is the only way many solicitors and legal execs expand their knowledge. In house training by existing members of the team risks reinforcing ignorance. No one knows everything so a head of department with a lacuna in his/her knowledge may well pass that ignorance on when organising or even giving in house CPD. I’ve seen too many seemingly senior people avidly writing as I pass on some piece of information which I had thought everyone already knew not to realise that outside training has an important part to paly. The mandatory 6 hours course attendance goes some way towards meeting that need so abolishing it is the act of fools.
Paul Nicholls, I don't know where you go for your CPD but the people I give courses for haven't put their prices up for at least the last three years.
Peter Piper, as for your view that they are some kind of leech, I know from quite a few of my regulars that attending courses is the main (sometimes only) way some lawyers keep up at all. The profession has been changing in more ways and for longer than many of those who complain on these pages acknowledge. I sold my firm in 2002 having never set a fee target for any of the half dozen solicitors and legal execs who worked for me. We took the time to discuss cases and share our difficult problems. In the last 12 years as a locum I have seen how the demands have ratcheted up with fee earners unable to take the time to get any kind of overview of what is going on. In addition specialisation has limited horizons even further. Partners are themselves often so pressed that they can’t spare the time to talk in depth with their colleagues about their cases. Financial pressures can make them feel that the cost of sending their people on courses is not commercially justified. In addition you have the new breed of ruthless principal whose only concern is profit. Under this new regime those people will simply stop using any kind of outside providers, their firms will become increasingly insular in whatever professional development they do provide and their staff, particularly the NQs will be the ones who suffer, not to mention the clients who get poor advice.
In the longer term, the reputation of the profession will take a steeper nose dive than it already has!