Lawyers know better than anyone that education is a life-long pursuit, extending far beyond the four corners of a legal textbook. And, in our ever-changing digital world, data literacy—and, unfortunately, data security—is becoming essential for lawyers.
While all lawyers need to be aware of the risks associated with our new digital environment, these new challenges also come with opportunities for particularly data-proficient lawyers. If you’ve put in the work to develop your data privacy knowledge or practice in the area of privacy law, pursuing data privacy certification is a great way to test your skills and demonstrate your expertise to colleagues and clients.
The best way to pursue certification is through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the world’s largest, most comprehensive global information privacy organization. Their certifications are considered the “gold standard” for validating privacy expertise for professionals.
In this post, we’ll cover the importance of data privacy. Along with some of the data privacy certifications for lawyers offered by the IAPP, and how you can start your journey to certification today.
What CIPP certification is best?
Keep in mind that you don’t have to select your CIPP certification based on your area of residence—A U.S.-based lawyer is not required to pursue a CIPP/US certification. The best CIPP certification depends on your focus area.
For example, a U.S. general practice attorney will benefit from CIPP/US certification as it demonstrates stringent knowledge of workplace privacy, state privacy laws, and limits on private-sector collection and use of data, all of which can regu