Stepping Up - foundation for practising on own account 2021

Registrations open soon - Would you like to be notified when registrations open?

	All lawyers wishing to practise on their own account, whether alone or in partnership or in an incorporated practice, and some in-house counsel, will be required to complete the course. To complete Stepping Up you must do approximately 50 hours of self-directed distance learning and workshop preparation and then attend a two and a half day workshop. Please note that before you attend the workshop you must sign an undertaking that you have completed all the distance learning and preparatory work. There are five courses offered in 2020. However, there is no guarantee of acceptance to any particular course as maximum numbers apply to each session.
	Stepping Up - due diligence Many graduates of Stepping Up wish they had considered the implications of practising on own account, in whatever form, before they did Stepping Up. We’ve got something to help you with that – our own series of videos called So you are thinking of practising on own account? Click here for more information
	Topping Up Stepping Up Topping Up Stepping Up is a revision course for practitioners who have previously completed Stepping Up satisfactorily, but who have not commenced practice on their own account within the required two years of the expiry date. Click here for more information

The course will include modules on

Leadership

• What it means and why it is important
• How to be a leader in your professional and private life.

Business planning

• The key choices owners must make regarding business models, practice structure and business planning
• How to develop a business plan.

Marketing

• Why a professional services firm is different
• How to develop a plan to grow your firm/practice.

The people dimension

• Recruiting the right people
• Motivating and retaining staff
• Delegating, supervising and managing staff
• Handling stress.

Financial management

• Profit drivers and profitability
• Cash flow, lock-up, WIP, debtors and related billing matters
• Cost of production
• Key financial concepts and key tax concepts.

Managing the business

• Appropriate systems and procedures
• Physical assets.

Professional conduct

• Complying with the Act, Regulations and Rules of Conduct and Client Care
• Dealing with clients, other members of the profession, and members of the public
• Conflicts of interest, trust-based issues and undertakings.

Managing client’s instructions

• Managing your relationships with your clients
• Pricing.

Risk management

• The concepts and process of risk management
• Identifying the risks and how to minimise them
• The professional indemnity disclosure requirement and common PI insurance issues.

Managing clients’ funds

• The fundamentals of trust accounting
• Responsibilities of partners who are not Trust Account Supervisors
• Detecting and dealing with fraud.

NOTE: In the background booklet there will be a chapter on how to manage the practical aspects of running an office, for example managing the physical assets, client files, administration systems and technology.

• Barrister sole
• Sole practitioner or partner/ director in a two-partner firm
• Partner/director in a firm of three or more partners.

2021 dates

Development funded by: