Stepping Up - foundation for practising on own account 2025

All lawyers wishing to practise on their own account, whether alone or in partnership or incorporated practice, and some in-house counsel, are required to complete this course. To complete Stepping Up you must do approximately 50 hours of self-directed distance learning and preparation and then attend all sessions of a two-and-a-half-day workshop. You must sign an undertaking that you have completed all the preparatory work.

There are five courses offered in 2025. However, there is no guarantee of acceptance to any particular course as maximum numbers apply to each session.

Stepping Up – due diligence

Stepping Up is the first step in qualifying to practise on your own account. After the course, you will need to apply to the New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa (Law Society) for approval and meet the application criteria. The Law Society website explains the application process and criteria, see Practising on own account as a barrister and solicitor and Starting practice as a barrister.

Many graduates of Stepping Up wish they had considered the implications of practising on own account 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? There is also a free recording and book about Practising on own account.

Topping Up Stepping Up

Topping Up Stepping Up is a revision course for practitioners who have previously completed Stepping Up but who have not commenced practice on their own account within the required two years of the expiry date. More information

Completing the course

The course includes:

• Modular, self-directed, distance-learning tasks
• Preparatory work (50 hours approx)
• An undertaking
• Attendance at all sessions of the two-and-a-half day workshop
• Some assessment.

There will be concurrent workshop sessions for the different intended career paths:

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

Learning objectives

Stepping Up is a major building block in the Law Society’s competence and professional development programme.

You will:

• Be better able to run the business of a law practice.
• Be qualified to assume responsibility for the obligations of the practice.
• Understand and confidently apply the relevant Rules of Conduct and Client Care.
• Understand the principles and rules of trust accounting.

Those lawyers who wish to practise on their own and run a trust account will also have to complete the NZLS CLE Trust Account Supervisor Training Programme.

Materials

Materials comprise a book and a folder. Registrants can opt to receive the book in Hard Copy and/or PDF; the folder is available in Hard Copy only. There is an additional $30 charge for selecting the book in both Hard Copy and PDF. Materials will be couriered approximately three months before each workshop.

Pre course work

The learning modules include background information, examples, practice exercises and questions, and preparatory work for the workshop. As a guide, we estimate that all pre-course work will take about 50 hours.

All your written work for each module, including the Trust Account Observation report, must be submitted to the course manager before the course begins.

Download the electronic version of all answer sections, either as a PDF or a Word document

Observation report

Download the Observation Report Template

Undertaking

Before the workshop, you must submit a declaration that you have completed all background reading and pre-course work.

Download the undertaking with the corresponding checklist

Disclosure of information

Stepping Up candidates for practice on own account are required to give NZLS CLE and the Course Director written authority to disclose to the Law Society and NZLS CLE anything they consider relevant to the candidate’s application to practise on own account.

Assessment

Assessment is based on:

•  All prescribed work being completed, including a written report of a trust account (observation report)
• Active participation in all workshop sessions.

In the event of failure of any assessed part of the course, there is a process for reassessment.

Applying to practice on your own account

Stepping Up is a compulsory prerequisite for lawyers applying to be barrister sole. Stepping Up is the first step in the process towards qualifying to practise on own account. If you do not commence practice on own account within two years from the date you completed Stepping Up, the qualification lapses. When you intend to practise on your own account you should make a formal application to your local Law Society branch. Information is available on the Law Society website.

The process of application to practise on own account takes six to eight weeks. This allows time for your name to be advertised to the profession, for you to attend an interview (if required) and for reference checks to be made.

Timing

• Day 1: 8.45am – 6.00pm
• Day 2: 8.30am – 6.00pm
• Day 3: 8.30am – 12.00pm
• Registrations close four weeks prior to each session. Candidates must have time to receive materials and complete the pre-course work (approx 50 hours) in order to submit their undertaking before the workshop commences. Late registrations will be considered on an individual basis. Numbers are limited for each session, please register early.

Fee (incl GST)

Fee includes materials and all catering. Accommodation is not included.

Workshop:

• Course Fee: $1,820
• Reassessment of any part: $140
• Reconsideration of any part: $95

Presenters

	Course Director: Niamh McMahon McMahon Butterworth Thompson, Auckland Niamh is a partner in the firm of McMahon Butterworth Thompson and practises primarily in the commercial law area. She was a convenor of the ADLS Documents & Precedents Committee for seven years and drafter of the 4th ed ADLS/REINZ Standard Agreement for Sale and Purchase of a Business. Niamh was a member of the Law Society’s Property Law Section Executive Committee from 2013 to 2016, a member of Standards Committee 5 (Auckland) for seven years, a costs assessor and an investigator for the Law Society. She is currently a member of the Lawyers & Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal. Niamh is a regular presenter for NZLS CLE.
	Kathryn Dalziel Walker Street Chambers, Christchurch Kathryn is a barrister specialising in employment, privacy and education law as well as civil litigation and professional ethics. In her career, she has worked as a senior Crown prosecutor and currently lectures at the University of Canterbury. As a senior lawyer, Kathryn regularly presents at legal conferences and has written for a number of publications. She has co-authored Ethics, Professional Responsibility and the Lawyer (3rd ed), and co-authored the chapters on Employment Law and Health Information in Health Care and the Law (5th ed).
	Kavita Deobhakta Morgan Coakle, Auckland Kavita was admitted in 1996 and is a partner at Morgan Coakle. Her particular focus is insurance claims litigation. Kavita is a specialist in liability insurance, advising insurers and defending insureds. Her particular interests are in professional negligence, construction claims, subrogated recoveries and in defending companies charged with breaches of Health & Safety legislation. Kavita is also the partner responsible for the firm’s own insurance arrangements and has a keen interest in risk management and in the general practice of law.
	Kirsten Hodgson KScope Marketing, Auckland Kirsten helps lawyers to retain and grow their existing clients, and attract more of their ideal prospects. An experienced business development and marketing professional, she has worked in, and with, professional services firms for the past 20+ years. Kirsten is also a qualified business and systemic team coach who works with lawyers to improve performance, wellbeing and collaboration. In 2012 she authored LinkedIn for Lawyers: Connect, Engage and Grow your Business (LexisNexis) and in 2015 co-authored LinkedIn for Lawyers: Developing a Profile to Grow your Practice (Ark Group).
	Emily Morrow Executive Consultant, Auckland Emily was a lawyer and senior partner for over 25 years with a large firm in Vermont, where she built and managed a premier trusts, estates and tax practice. Now she works as an international consultant, focusing on the core capabilities for success in the professions: business development, strategic planning, self-presentation and communication skills, practice management and succession planning. Emily is a frequent contributor to LawTalk and LawNews and has been the keynote speaker at numerous professional conferences.
	Dr Neil Oakes FMRC Pty Ltd, Australia Neil has served the Australasian legal profession since 1989. He has been a director of FMRC for over 30 years, assisting firms with myriad management challenges. Neil assists firms with strategy and profit growth, partner/director management and profit sharing, key talent management, management structures and succession management. He conducts law firm planning retreats regularly, assisting them to plan for and achieve greater success. Neil presents at FMRC and other workshops. He has degrees in Economics and Financial Management.
	Anna Parker Frank Risk Management, Auckland Anna is an insurance litigation lawyer turned broker. After seeing the severe implications of businesses not having proper insurance advice, she made a conscious decision to move to insurance broking. Anna has deep technical knowledge and extensive experience in the professional indemnity space. She is known for her ability to steer clients through contentious insurance issues and complex insurance programmes, and this has been recognised in multiple industry awards. Anna is responsible for placing all commercial insurance lines with a particular focus on solicitor’s professional indemnity and cyber insurance.
	Kane Smith Law Society Inspector, Christchurch Kane has a Bachelor of Management Studies majoring in finance and economics and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting. He spent several years as a young entrepreneur and worked at Inland Revenue in the fraud and evasion team. Kane started as an Inspector for the Law Society in 2016 based in Hamilton. He has since moved to Christchurch and looks after the South Island regions.
	Philip Strang Law Society Inspector, Christchurch Philip is a chartered accountant and was in private practice from 1988 until joining the Inspectorate in 2003. His work experience was initially in a “big five” firm, dealing mainly with insolvency practice, then he spent most of his time in forensic assignments including statutory management-type assignments and SFO prosecutions. Philip examines the NZLS CLE Trust Account Supervisor Training Programme and was the principal contributor to the 2024 re-write of the Law Society’s Lawyers Trust Accounting Guidelines.

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Cancellation and refund policy

This workshop has a “No transfer” policy. Therefore, if you are unable to attend the workshop you must cancel your registration. If you cancel your registration more than 15 working days before the workshop begins, you will receive a refund of $1,160. No refunds will be given for any cancellations made less than 15 working days before the course.