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.

Eligibility

• You must commence Topping Up Stepping Up within three years of the expiry date of your Stepping Up qualification.
• If your Stepping Up qualification has been expired for three years or more, you must repeat Stepping Up and are not eligible for Topping Up Stepping Up.

Course details

• Topping Up Stepping Up is a self-directed distance course to be completed at your own pace within the time allowed.
• The required work is emailed to you and must be completed and emailed back to NZLS CLE within the deadline of 10 weeks from the initial email sent to you.
• The required work comprises a business plan, four exercises and a trust account test. (If you are intending to practise as a barrister sole you are not required to submit the trust account test.)
• The course uses the Stepping Up materials and you will be sent a new set of materials as they have been amended since you completed the programme.
• If your work needs to be re-submitted and re-marked, you will be charged a fee of $100 (incl. GST).
• If you complete Topping Up Stepping Up satisfactorily, you then have two years to commence practice on your own account.

Learning objectives

Topping Up Stepping Up is a refresher course for practitioners who have completed Stepping Up satisfactorily but who have not commenced practice on their own account within the required two years. By completing a comprehensive business plan, reflecting on, and writing about, scenarios exploring four aspects of legal practice, and revising the rules of trust accounting, you will be better able to:

• manage the business of a law practice, in particular costing and billing strategies
• assume responsibility for the obligations of the practice, in particular managing a large project with a team of lawyers/consultants/experts/staff
• manage client files, including a process for dealing with a complaint
• identify risks specific to your practice and apply appropriate approaches to minimise and mitigate them
• describe and apply the law and practice of trust accounting to properly handle client money received in the course of practice (barristers exempt).

Fee

• Topping Up Stepping Up course fee $590 (this cost also includes the current edition of Stepping Up materials)

Registration form

Download PDF registration form

Further information

For more information about Topping Up Stepping Up, please email [email protected]