Why did I choose Laws:When I passed the entrance exams of this course in Ateneo

de Manila University I asked my father if he could afford and he said he would be happy to
support me. The rest is history.

About my college education:My law studies converted me from being merely an

audience of the court to being an officer of the court. I graduated with all the different subjects
of the law being read, analyzed, and remembered.

Most of the law subjects were difficult but if a student really studied and understood what he
read, he would pass the subjects. Most of the students failed.

If the student of law is just enrolled in a law school where the teachers are not demanding and
strict, then the traits of diligence and perseverance would suffice. But in my school, it required
more. A student should have an analytical mind in order to distinguish the finer points of the
law and it's application and be updated with the Supreme Court rulings.

My current job:For more than 27 years I have been a practicing and trial lawyer in the
Philippines. I handle the legal cases of my clients. Most of the time I am in the courts litigating
their cases and trying my best to win them.

Am I using what I learned in college:I am now still applying in my profession of law

the practical things I learned in my law studies such as being conscientious and very analytical
in the study of a particular case. If the legal analysis is wrong, then the legal battle is already
lost. I have also to make sure that my legal pleadings are well written in order to impress the
client and the judge handling the case. The main goal is always to have a better preparation of
the case and the determination to convince the judge of the merits of one’s case in order to get
a favorable decision for my client.
 How long did it take to find a job:After passing the Bar exam I was immediately
hired as a lawyer by my relatives and close friends. It was a very good feeling of being called
“attorney”. It was the culmination of my dream.

Do I recommend studying Laws:This course is good for everybody whether or not

the student becomes a lawyer or not. This course broadens the knowledge of each person
about the laws of the Philippines. By being a graduate of law, one generally ceases to be
ignorant of the law. He or she can already discuss any topic under the sun from a legal
perspective.

I would gladly encourage all to take the law studies as an additional learning which can be an
advantage for employment and income-earning purposes.

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R. S.
◈ Studied Bachelor of Laws
◈ At Ateneo De Manila University
◈ Graduated 1985

Why did I choose Laws:It was mainly because of my father’s influence. My father
himself was a lawyer and he encouraged me to take up the law course after college so when I
have finished my B.S. Political Science from the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila, I
immediately took up this course.

About my college education:My difficult subject in the 1st year was Constitutional
Law because the teacher was a terror. My favorite was Criminal Law because the teacher was
nice and not strict. More than 50% of my classmates failed in one subject and they did not have
the guts and determination to pursue the law course in this school. In order to remain in this
school one has to be ready all the time, whether in oral or written examinations.

There were many important lessons that I learned during this law study. One basic lesson is not
to make your teacher get angry at you, another is to make the teacher like you and lastly, but
not the least, is to pass the exams by studying well.

Only one-third or even less of the total number of students passed their exams in this course.
Most of them transferred to other law schools after they did not pass the “make-up” exams
where they failed.

To graduate in this school, one needs the stamina and ability to withstand humiliation in the
classroom for giving the wrong or irrelevant and sometimes crazy answer to the question
propounded by the teachers. Guts and passion for this course are very much required.

My current job:I am now a government retiree but I attend to a few legal cases,
especially those to customs and tariffs. For more than twenty years I worked in various
capacities such as Collector of the Bureau of Customs in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Clark Airport.
As Collector I was the tasked to make money for the government by exacting the right custom
duties and tariffs in the ports where I was assigned.

How long did it take to find a job:Two months after passing the Bar Exams I was
hired by a law office in Makati City.

Do I recommend studying Laws:The law course is one of the most rewarding but
one of the hardest. It gives a sense of stability to anyone who graduates from this course and
becomes a lawyer. In this country, the lawyers are considered the most respected and most
defiled. The late President Ferdinand Marcos was a Bar topnotcher and a great statesman but
after more 20 years of dictatorship, he was exiled and was accused as a dictator and of stealing
about $10 billion of the Filipino people’s money.
 Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course:Any one who intends
to study law should consider that this is a long, rigorous, costly, and burdensome ordeal that
requires a lot of patience, diligence, and many late nights of reading voluminous pages of law
subjects - and there are about 8 subjects per semester. The law course is one of the best
courses but one of the hardest. Nevertheless, it gives someone a very good perspective and
insight about business, governance, and civil relations. A lawyer earns a very high income and
can be elected as a Legislator in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

In my law studies I learned that a lawyer needs more than just passing the Bar and being given
the license to practice law. There is the unwritten law that there is a great advantage of
knowing the right, influential, and persons in the pedestals of power who can make things
easier or more rewarding for one’s vested interests. A bigger and more powerful network
provides unlimited opportunities for more wealth and richness.

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J. H.
◈ Studied Bachelor of Laws
◈ At San Beda College
◈ Graduated 2009

About my college education:Taking up political science was fun, I became socially

aware, abreast with current developments, learned to appreciate the political dynamics in our
country. I excelled back in college, graduated with honors and was active in various extra
curricular activities.

After college, I took up Law, it was not a walk in the park. I was exposed to my ignorance, that
there were still a lot of things that I really do not know. In law school, you have to split hairs,
study every night, burn the midnight oil, prepare for recitations everyday.
Skills that I've acquired in my study political science and Law are logical thinking, creative skills,
comprehensive analysis, proper grammar. You can't take everything at their face value, I
learned to dig dipper, analyze, fully comprehend the facts, pay attention to detail while meeting
established deadlines. Also, I appreciated the socratic method in learning, with that method, I
got to improve memorization skills and argumentation skills.

My current job:Lawyer

Am I using what I learned in college:Definitely, I've developed logical skills and

analytical skills. Solutions to clients problems have to be approached whollistically, from various
aspects. with my education, I was able to learn how to address client problems, search for
authorities, gather supporting documents, investigate, be coherent. Also, writing and oral
advocacy in the law profession is an important tool in supporting a client's cause, the
interpersonal/argumentation skills I learned in college and law school helped a lot.

How long did it take to find a job:After graduation then bar exam. After the bar
exam, I took a three month vacation, and after my vacation I started to look for work, it took
me perhaps around two weeks after sending my resume.

Do I recommend studying Laws:Yes. There are only around 60,000 lawyers in the
Philippines, compared to other professions, it is still a small number. Once you're a lawyer you
can venture into different professions applying your legal knowledge- business, journalism,
marketing, diplomacy, foreign affairs, politics, finance and the like. The salary of a lawyer at first
is small, but once it would be better to get the experience first.