You are on page 1of 9

III.

PROCESS/MOTIVATION

A. MOTIVATION FOR STARTING THE PROGRAM

The legal profession is not confined to a rigid mastery of the law as


it also involves at least a considerable degree of familiarity with the
various procedures and the bureaucracies of the institutions involved in
the process of litigation. However, the long-standing curriculum of law
schools in the country is focused heavily on classroom based pedagogy.
This kind of curriculum provides an imbalanced training that tends to lean
more on the academic area and barely touches on the particulars of actual
practice. Unfortunately the detriments of this type of education are reaped
by new lawyers who engage into practice with so many expectations but
unarmed with experience.

The apprenticeship program is a prospective avenue for us to


immerse ourselves with the daily proceedings inside the court and
corresponding activities in the staff room. Moreover, the program is a
potential source of a general understanding of the inner mechanisms of
the court particularly with the established roles of each court personnel.
Furthermore, the program is perceived to be an opportunity to observe
and compare the lessons we learned from the classroom with their actual
application.

The apprenticeship program is also expected to provide us with


access to the actual records of cases. This could provide us with a
deeper understanding of how pleadings, motions and other court related
documents are prepared as well as their specific functions in relation to
the proceedings. Moreover, these records could expose us to unimagined
details which can help us compare the theoretical problems we encounter
in our exams with true to life events.

Additional credentials, additional skillset and values


inculcated in our personality
An aspiring young lawyer worked in a law office under the
supervision of a licensed attorney while the young person "read the
law" in preparation for being admitted to the practicing bar. The
experiences of observing the lawyer and handling lawyering
assignments under the lawyer's direction and supervi- sion were the
practical means of applying the knowledge, skills, and values of the
profess
An externship provides the opportunity better than virtually
any other curriculum option to learn about the practice of a lawyer
in a specific legal position. A career services advisor is interested
providing students with work experience that will assist them in
securing future employment. The student's self-interest is given
attention even if the student's work does not immediately contribute
to the social justice interests of the law school. Students may be
urged to include a public interest, government

B. SOURCES OF ADVICE AND GUIDANCE

a. The Clerk of Court

The primary person designated to supervise us during the


apprenticeship program was the branch clerk of court who assumed the
responsibility of identifying the primary tasks to be designated to us. The
primary tasks given to us were mostly clerical which includes docketing,
entering data to the continuous trial monitoring system (CTMS), typing
documents, arranging and searching for court records and labeling
documents.
The branch clerk of court was very attentive to our needs and
concerns during the program. She provided us with advices which are
mostly about how to efficiently manage our time during the apprenticeship
program and how to maximize our learning process despite the clerical
nature of the tasks designated to us. Since she is a practicing lawyer, she
was able to provide us with law related advice and guidance.

b. The Staff

The court staffs which consist of the court clerks, interpreters,


stenographers, researchers, process servers and the aide, had the most
involvement in the process of supervising and monitoring us in the entire
duration of the program. The court clerks assumed the responsibility of
providing us with instructions for the tasks which were individually
designated to us.

Since the primary tasks designated to us were mostly clerical, the


staff only provided us with instructions which were also clerical in nature.
Despite this, the court staffs, particularly those with background with the
study of law exerted earnest efforts to give us some advice which could
help us survive law school such as writing legibly, managing time and
being attentive all the time. They took the time to introduce us to as well
as explain the nature of the work of the different types of lawyers,
government officers and representative of other private entities who
appear in court. They also tried to explain to us a few legal concepts but
only to a minimal level since they assumed that those concepts will be
explained to us further in school.

c. The Judge

The involvement of the judge in the apprenticeship program was


only minimal. In the entire duration of the program, we only got to
exchange a few words and greetings with him which is barely enough to
be considered a conversation. However, he allowed us to observe
hearings and other proceedings inside the court wherein we witnessed
his conduct as a judge and compare his line of work from a lawyer.
Moreover, we were able to appreciate the relevance of judicial ethics by
observing his professional demeanor and unbiased personality.

d. Lawyers
Lawyers were not directly involved in the apprenticeship program.
However, in the duration of the program, we were able to meet some
lawyers both from the government and from private institutions. Although
our conversations with them were at best insignificant, we were able to
observe their conduct inside the court and from such observations, we
were able to pick up at least a general understanding of the proper court
decorum for a lawyer.

e. Co-participants
We were assigned on different branches of the court; our
experience as apprentices differs from one another. Others were given
purely clerical jobs, some were given the opportunity to draft decisions
and some were given a mixture different court related duties. Our weekly
meeting every Saturday provided us with an opportunity to share our
individual experiences with each other. This gave us an idea of other
court related duties that we did not get to experience and also this
allowed us to compare the different methods of how similar tasks are
done differently in different offices or courts.

f. Faculty Supervisor

One of the most important persons involved in the program is our


mentor from the school, Atty. Isagani Calderon, who explained to us the
purpose of the apprenticeship program, and valuable tips on how to
maximize our learning inside the court. He undertook the responsibility of
answering our queries about the program through animated weekly
discussions and sharing of experiences in relation to the program.

C. APPLICATION OF CHANNELS USED FOR LEARNING

D. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

The goal of the apprenticeship program is to expose us to actual court


proceedings in order to familiarize us with the fundamentals of the
litigation process that cannot be realized in the classroom setting. To
achieve this goal, the participation of the court and other institutions
involved in litigation is vital.

The process of securing apprenticeship became inconvenient for some


of us because of the poorly established arrangement between the school
and the court. We were only provided with a list of available courts where
we can apply along with a general instruction to visit the courts and submit
our applications. While this experience allowed us to assert our
independence, the suddenness of our arrival did not work well with the
court. Despite the welcoming attitude of the court personnel, the abrupt
introduction of apprentices in their workplace became disruptive to some
extent to their operation.

The aforementioned dilemma can be traced back to the poor if not the
total absence of communication between the school and the court prior to
the start of the apprenticeship program. Consequently, the court was
given ample time to prepare for the program which adversely affected the
structure of our learning experience.

The lack of experience on hosting apprenticeship programs on the


part of the court is also a factor that proved to be unfavorable on our end.
The court personnel were mostly unfamiliar with the concept of
apprenticeship and are confused as to the role that they should play in the
program. Also, there was no specific person from the court designated to
supervise us for the duration of the program which caused confusion as to
who is actually responsible for us. In relation to this, the court personnel
became hesitant in allowing us to access the court records because
according to them, aside from the court personnel, only the parties to the
case can have access to the records pursuant to existing court circulars.
Apparently, the Supreme Court circular in relation to apprenticeship
program which provides that apprentices are to be treated as court
personnel and are covered by the confidentiality rule of the court, was not
properly disseminated and explained to them. Moreover, since the
apprenticeship program is relatively new to the courts in the provinces,
there are still no established functions in the court specifically designated
for apprentices.

The imbalance in the apprentice per court ratio was an inevitable


consequence of confining the reach of the apprenticeship program in the
Baguio and La Trinidad only. This was undeniably disadvantageous to us
participants because this resulted to physical constraints particularly the
lack of working space for each of us inside the staff room affecting our
mobility. This also caused significant hindrance to our work efficiency
since we had to share the limited resources inside the court particularly
the computers.
There are at least three universities in Baguio offering the study law
and over time, these schools are slowly integrating the apprenticeship
program to their respective curriculums. Consequently, the number of
students participating in the program is expected to significantly increase
in the span of only a few years. A potential dilemma that could arise from
this is the overcrowding of students into the limited number of available
courts within the province of Benguet.

The most promising solution to this dilemma is to broaden the


scope of the apprenticeship program so as to include other institutions and
agencies which incorporates the practice of law. This could provide us
with a significant exposure to with the various career paths within the legal
profession outside the court. Moreover, since there is an impending
overcrowding of participants in the apprenticeship program within the
province of Benguet, the outsourcing of the program to other cities and
provinces in the country offers a potential solution as well as an
opportunity for future participants to explore the possible employment
opportunities outside of Benguet or within their howm towns.

many of the students may choose to take least one public


interest position because they desire to learn about of their career
options and their professional responsibilities to provide bono
services, and to contribute to the improvement

E. SATISFACTION DRIVERS
a. Exposure to court proceedings
b. Additional credentials
c. Quality of educational experience

(1) a clear statement of the goals and methods, and a demonstrated relationship
between those goals and methods to the program in operation;

(2) adequate instructional resources, including faculty teaching in and


supervising the program who devote the requisite time and attention to satisfy
program goals and are sufficiently available to students;
(3) a clearly articulated method of evaluating each student's academic
performance involving both a faculty member and the field placement supervisor;

(4) a method for selecting, training, evaluating, and communicating with field
placement supervisors;

(5) periodic on-site visits or their equivalent by a faculty member if the field
placement program awards four or more academic credits (or equivalent) for
fieldwork in any academic term or if on-site visits or their equivalent are otherwise
necessary and appropriate;

(6) a requirement that students have successfully completed one academic year
of study prior to participation in the field placement program;

(7) opportunities for student reflection on their field placement experience,


through a seminar, regularly scheduled tutorials, or other means guided
reflection. Where a student can earn four or more academic (or equivalent) in the
program for fieldwork, the seminar, tutorial, means of guided reflection must be
provided contemporaneously.

IV. QUALITY OF THE PROGRAM AND TRAINING

A. Quality of training
The training should be appropriate with the qualifications of the apprentice
such as educational attainment, relevant trainings, etc, to avoid repetition
of training.

Set Goals
-include and prioritize the acquisition of employability skills of the
apprentice in the goals of the program

There is a dire need to provide a training design


-the lack of training design caused confusion on our part and on the part of
the court as to what the apprenticeship program is supposed to include.
Moreover, the Supreme Court circular in relation to apprenticeship
program is too general and provides no concrete depiction of the goals of
the program.
-specify and improve
faculty involvement, cost, location the students, range of approved
externship placements, academic assignments, and student responsibility

incorporate academic discussion in the apprenticeship

The primary means of adding assignments under the apprenticeship


model are weekly journals, readings, submission of work product, and written

Task based not time based

B. Quality of Trainers
-Trainers were responsible, actively participates, welcoming,
-some with legal backgrounds
-some without legal backgrounds
-some have moody attitudes

-there were no specified court personnel to take the responsibility of


monitoring us
-confusing instructions from many people at the same time
-they were busy enough with their own work and so even if they were very
much willing to accommodate us, they had to prioritize the pile of pending
documents in their own desks before attending to us.
-Some of them do not have law related background, but even so they took
the time to share with us their experience as employees of the court

C. Additional Support needed


-faculty supervisor on site visit
- model, one faculty advisor is required to oversee the externship program
-The faculty member monitors the experience through academic
assignments connected to the student's internship experience. academic
component may include weekly reflective journals in place quired
classroom meetings. Faculty contact with the field supervisors include
telephone calls or written communication as the primary
faculty/practitioner interaction in place

-use emails to communicate with supervisors


At the same time, programs based apprenticeship model are also
acceptable even if they have no classroom ponent as long as they require
some method of providing guided reflection, such as requiring the student
to submit reflective journals. Less expensive means, in terms of faculty
resources required, for meeting the requirement guided reflection may
include videoconferencing, telephone contact, preceptors located in the
site area, and organized e

You might also like