FAQ CONTENTS

• Introduction to LawID
• Accessing LawID
• Renewing your practising certificate
• Practitioner survey

INTRODUCTION TO LAWID

WHAT IS LAWID?

The Law Society of New South Wales has created LawID, a secure single sign-on to provide access to renewals for Practising Certificates, Specialist Accreditation, and Associate Membership, and a range of online services.

HELP AND SUPPORT

All screens in the online renewal form have links at the top of the page that will provide guidance to the user including Frequently Asked Questions and Contact Us details.

ACCESSING LAWID

ACCESS LAWID DIRECTLY

Access LawID directly here.

ACCEPTING AN EMAIL INVITE

Alternatively, you can access LawID by clicking on the link in the email invitation the Society sends to all practitioners when it is time to renew.

LOGGING IN

To log in to LawID, you will need to enter your username (LawID or email address) and password.

RETRIEVING YOUR LOGIN DETAILS

In order to retrieve your username and/or password for LawID, select ‘Forgot your details’. Input your username (LawID or email address). A link to reset your password will be emailed to you.

If your communication email address is now different from that recorded with the Law Society Registry, please contact the Registry team on (02) 9926 0156 Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm AEST.

RENEWING YOUR PRACTISING CERTIFICATE

STARTING THE RENEWAL PROCESS

Once you have signed into LawID, any renewals that are current will be available for you to submit. These will display with a RENEW NOW button next to them. Select RENEW NOW to continue with your renewal.

USING THE ONLINE FORM

NEXT and BACK will move you through each page in the form.
Selecting CANCEL will NOT save any details you have entered.
All questions are mandatory except where indicated otherwise (* = Mandatory).
Place your cursor on the  symbol to see further information about the question.

WHO CAN RENEW

Those solicitors who intend to practise exclusively outside Australia are still entitled to renew their practising certificate in New South Wales (NSW) pursuant to the provisions of rule 18 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law General Rules 2015.

For those solicitors who practise within and outside Australia the application should be made by reference to the person’s practice in Australia.

NON RENEWAL

Those solicitors who are not renewing their practising certificates in NSW will be directed to the Non Renewal online form. Practitioners who are not renewing their practising certificate may apply to become an Associate Member of the Law Society in the online form.

RENEWAL DETAILS

Fit and Proper Person

Applicants must address each of the matters referred to in rule 13(1) of the Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 in considering whether or not they are a fit and proper person to hold an Australian practising certificate.

Show Cause Events

Section 87 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) requires that an applicant must provide the Law Society Council a statement about any automatic show cause event and explain why, despite the show cause event, the applicant considers himself or herself to be a fit and proper person to hold an Australian practising certificate.

An automatic show cause event is a bankruptcy related event, a conviction for a serious offence or a tax offence. Please refer to sections 86 and 87, and the definitions in section 6, of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) to determine if you are required to provide a statement.

Please contact the Society’s Professional Standards Department of 02 9926 0110 for assistance.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

CPD is a mandatory condition imposed on all Australian practising certificates issued in New South Wales. The CPD year is from 1 April to 31 March each year.

The requirement is 10 CPD units in each CPD year however, if you commence, or recommence, holding a practising certificate after the commencement of the CPD year you must complete, on a pro rata basis, the balance of CPD units as set out below:

Please note that where a partial exemption or pro rata calculation applies, compulsory fields must be completed as part of the remaining units to be satisfied.

Completing the 4 compulsory fields

Unless exempted in whole or in part from attaining CPD units, all practising certificate holders must include at least one (1) unit in each of the following fields every CPD year:

• Ethics and Professional Responsibility
• Practice Management and Business Skills
• Professional Skills
• Substantive Law

A CPD audit is conducted each year and practitioners may be required to submit details of the CPD activities completed.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Applicants will have the option to pay for the renewal of their practising certificate by Credit Card, humm (a buy now, pay later provider), Cheque or Loan Company. Payment options relevant to each individual will be displayed on the online form prior to submission.