How should a solicitor ensure competence and ongoing professional development?

• A. PD is optional
• B. Maintain knowledge and engage in CPD
• C. Maintain knowledge, engage in CPD, and perform duties with skill and care
• D. Only required for court appearances

Answer: (C)

Maintaining professional competence means keeping your knowledge current, actively engaging in ongoing development, and applying what you’ve learned in practice with skill and care. The best answer includes all three elements: staying up-to-date, participating in continuing professional development, and delivering duties with the competence and care clients expect. Merely treating ongoing development as optional wouldn’t meet professional standards, and focusing only on knowledge or only on court work misses how competence is demonstrated in everyday practice. So the full, correct approach is to maintain knowledge, engage in CPD, and perform duties with skill and care.