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LEGAL RESEARCH READING NO.

3
SURVIVING LAW SCHOOL
ATTY. NEL EDIZA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Message…………………………………………....….2
II. Tips to Survive Law School…………………..……3
III. 10 Must Haves For Law Students……………..….8
IV. Creating the Law School Plan……………….…...10
V. Tips in Creating a Case Digest……………….…..13
VI. Format of a Case Digest………………………..…14
VII. Tips for Multiple Choice Questions…………..…16
VIII. Legal Research Topics…………………………..17
A. Formal Class Discussion
B. Practical Exercises

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MESSAGE

As you embark the law journey of becoming a member of the Bench, let me
assure you that I will always be with you in much prayers, care and support.

Trust God who began this good work in you. Our Lord Jesus Christ will certainly
walk with you these next five (5) years.

Allow God to actively work in your lives these days as He does what is certainly
best for us.

Wishing you all the best!

ATTY. NEL S. EDIZA


f.ediza@gmail.com
0917-655-8830

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TIPS TO SURVIVE LAW SCHOOL

Law school is stressful, and that’s by design: the rigors of earning your law
degree are similar to the rigors you’ll endure as a budding legal professional,
where only the strong survive. And although law school can be difficult, that
doesn’t mean you have to become insane on the way to graduation. There are
several ways to cope, prevent stress, and stop the insanity before it starts. We’ve
outlined 25 tips that can help you stay sane and happy, and even live like a
normal person now and then.

1. Keep your goals achievable


It’s great to set big dreams and work toward making them a reality, but be careful
not to overdo it. Think about how you’re going to get there, and set achievable
goals that you know you can reach along the way. Checking off goals that are
realistic for you to achieve can really build your self confidence, and give you
momentum to keep going for the big stuff.

2. Give your mind a break after lectures


After going through lectures and briefing, your mind needs a break. Although it’s
tempting to go straight to the books, spending a little time vegging out is
important to your mental health and energy. For an hour after your lectures are
over, just take some time to do something else, like playing with your pets or
watching TV. Anything that can temporarily get your mind off of law school and
let you be yourself for a while.

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3. Practice time management
It’s tempting to just jump in and do all you can without thinking about how it’s
actually going to get done, but by budgeting your time, you can accomplish more
and have less anxiety about it all. Manage your time by reviewing your weekly
goals and tasks, then organize your time into daily task lists. You may not meet
your goals perfectly every week, but by managing your time, you will likely get
closer to perfect and have less worry about how it’s all
going to get done.

4. Eat a balanced diet


Junk food is convenient and easy to mindlessly shove
down your throat while you’re trying to focus on studying,
but it’s terrible for your energy and health. Take the time to
eat food that’s actually good for you, because junk food will
catch up with you eventually. Healthy food including fruits
and vegetables can be made accessible, and they will help
keep your mind going when you need it the most.

5. Spring clean your life


Before you begin law school, tame all of the issues that might pop up as a
distraction to your studies. Visit the dentist, organize your house, and take care
of any nagging issues that can mess with your time management. Do whatever
you can to automate your life, including paying bills, so that you can focus on
what’s absolutely necessary. If you didn’t get a chance to do this before school
started, be sure to take care of it during breaks.

6. Figure out your financial situation


Law school is scary on its own without the worry of financial ruin, but if you don’t
have a clear picture of how you’re going to handle the six-figure student loans
that come along with your law degree, you just might lose your mind while you’re
working to get your degree in the first place. Have a plan for the investment and
how you’re going to take care of your living expenses while you’re in school. It’s
also wise to work hard to find scholarships so that you don’t have to bear the full
weight of law school on your own.

7. Use The Buzzer or “Cute Alarms”


If you just can’t get anything done, avoid distractions, or focus, using The Buzzer
method for law school can be incredibly helpful. With this method, you’ll set a
timer for 45 minutes, work straight through without any interruptions, not even
bathroom breaks, and then take a break and repeat. You may not get anything
done, but chances are that at some point in the 45 minutes, you’ll get bored and
want to start doing some sort of productive work. If this method works for you, it
can help save your sanity and make you get things done so you can move on
and do things that don’t revolve around law school.

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8. Hug a puppy or a friend (if needed)


Get some perspective and release endorphins by taking a minute to hug a puppy
when you’re at your most stressed. Or in absence, hug your friends and some
pillows.

9. Think about the exam on the first day of class


What’s tested in law school isn’t necessarily what’s taught in law school. It
sounds weird, but it’s true. So that means you’ll need to consider what you really
need to know from the very beginning, and save your energy by simply working
on that.

10. Have an outlet


When law school is consuming your life, it’s easy to forget that you’re a real
person with interests other than legal briefings. But you actually are a real person
with needs, and an outlet is a great way to meet them. Do something fun for
yourself, like going to the gym on a regular basis, or taking the time to go to the
movies on occasion. It’s essential that you indulge yourself from time to time so
that you don’t burn out.

11.Recognize and minimize procrastination


If you’re feeling stuck and lonely during long nights of studying, it might feel like a
good idea to log on to Facebook and spend a few hours connecting with your
friends and family that you never seem to have time for anymore. But the more
time you spend putting off studying, the less time you have to actually participate
in real life. Buckle down when it’s time to do the work, and enjoy the fruits of your
labor when it’s appropriate.

12. Avoid coping through chemistry


Drugs, alcohol, and overloading on caffeine can make a small stress problem
even bigger. Don’t be a “drunken lawyer” and give the Bar a reason to refuse
your application. Learn to cope through healthy outlets, and use, but don’t abuse,
alcohol as an occasional way to relieve stress.

13. Don’t be afraid to rely on the study skills you already know
Plenty of people will tell you that law must be studied in a way that’s radically
different from anything else, and you have to do things completely different from
the methods you’re used to. But Ilya Somin of The Volokh Conspiracy does not
agree, remarking that if it works for you, you can certainly study the same way
you got through your work as an undergrad or graduate student. You may need
to make minor modifications, but it’s certainly possible to go with what you know
and avoid the stressful process of learning a brand new way to learn.

14. Break large projects down into small tasks

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Make humongous efforts feel like less work by taking them one small step at a
time. Identify tasks within large projects, breaking things into subtopics and
assigning smaller time blocks so that you can focus on manageable pieces. This
will help you keep things organized, and give you motivation to keep going as
you accomplish small goals along the way.

15. Don’t be a perfectionist


Law school naturally attracts highly driven students who are bent on doing
everything perfectly, but life is much easier if you accept that some things don’t
have to be perfect. Many schools have a B- curve, and some professors simply
don’t ever give As. Recognize that a good grade isn’t always an A plus, and that
you don’t have to be in the top 10% of your class to become a good lawyer.

16. Don’t get sick


Law school can make for close quarters and a perfect environment for picking up
germs that can knock you down and make studying even harder. Stay well and
on the top of your game by putting up a good defense: maintain a regular sleep
schedule, a healthy diet, and practice good hygiene and hand-washing
techniques.

17. Focus on what you really need to know


As Listless Lawyer notes, 95% of what you want to achieve in law school will be
based on your grades, which come from your exams. And while you’ll spend lots
of class time looking over the minutia of cases, chances are, that same minutia
isn’t going to show up in the relatively short exam. Focus on the “holding” that
summarizes the rule that the case stands for, and anything else you may retain is
gravy on top.

18. Avoid taking on too much


MSU Law recommends that you simply focus on the stress of law school without
adding to it unnecessarily. Getting in over your head and overextending yourself
with too many society and association groups can seriously bog down an already
busy workload. Consider which opportunities offer the most value to you, and
focus on doing well with them. And of course, know yourself and what you can
reasonably handle.

19. Put everything where it belongs


Emily Rushing, law librarian, recommends that law students keep their lives
neatly filed. Keep emails, notes, projects, and anything else you might collect in
the right place. By putting information where it belongs, you can easily retrieve it
when necessary. As she points out, being smart is often more of a question of
whether you can find information, rather than how much you can absorb or
retain.

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20. Take short breaks when you’re feeling the pressure
It’s natural to feel a little overwhelmed in law school, and it’s also understandable
for students to want to push through and work as hard as possible. It’s important
to be human, and take short breaks before your stress and anxiety turns into full-
blown panic and a situation in which you just can’t get anything done. Take short
breaks, do mindful breathing, and allow information to sink in while you rest.

21. Treat law school like a job


If you let law school become your life, you truly will go insane. Set limits much
like you would with a job. Plan to work on law school studies during certain
hours, and then actually put in the time, but when it’s over, you really do have to
put the books down and stop studying. If possible, study away from home, and
when you get home, leave your books in the bag.

22. Remember that it’s only temporary


If you’re a first-year law student, it’s easy to feel the strain and feel that the reality
you’re in will continue for years two and three as well. But UCLA law students
Sylvie Levine and David Burke point out that things get more relaxed as you go.
The second year becomes a little more relaxed than the first, particularly with
fewer classes to attend. The third year is the most relaxed, as most students
have already secured jobs, and with their eyes on the prize, are just hoping to get
things done without screwing up enough to lose their jobs. All of this is to say that
law school is a downhill battle, one that may be tough in the beginning, but gets
easier as you go.

23. Maintain relationships in law school


As law school wears on, it’s easy to crawl into your own hole and buckle down
with work, but maintaining relationships with your classmates and professors is
important. Use the people you know in school for both positive reinforcement and
references. You should also continue to build your network, as you’ll certainly
find opportunities to call on them during your job search and career as a lawyer.

24.Know your deadlines


Always know when your assignments are due. This is a simple task that will save
you time and allow you to better juggle your schedule. Whether they are papers,
projects, or assignments as a summer associate, always find out the date and
time an assignment is due, and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you need
it.

25. Have friends outside of law school


Although law school relationships are important, you should also make a point to
maintain your friendships outside of law school as well. While you’re freaking out
about exams, your law school friends can’t really help you: they’re dealing with

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the same issues. But people in the real world can bring you out of your dark hole
when your law school friends fail to do so.

See: http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/12/20/25-tips-staying-sane-law-
school/#.TvRvaNXlENc.facebook

a. Examinees knowledge of law and basic principles and ability to recall


them (KNOW and RECALL) 20%

b. Ability to understand the meaning and significance of the law and its
basic principles (UNDERSTANDING) 40%

c. Ability of the examinee to analyze legal problems and provide solutions


to them (ANALYSIS and SOLUTION) 40%

Source : Ateneo Barristers Manual 2012

10 MUST HAVES FOR LAW STUDENTS

A cool demeanor and carefree attitude may help you survive law school but this
10 must-haves are the basic 'tools' of the trade to help you have some
semblance of sanity and organization in your
day to day existence in law school:

1. Laptop or PC In the age of the


internet, a laptop or desktop PC is an
indispensable tool to search and digest
cases, encode case summaries, and
research relevant jurisprudence
online.

2. Sturdy Bookstand Considering the


number of books law students read and the weight and
volume of the SCRA and law books, a tidy, sturdy and

foldable book stand is a must!

3. A tablet
If you must, a tablet is an alternative to a heavy
laptop, for those easy to browse version of the
case digests, this tablet can be real handy.

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4. A Wifi Connection
As pointed somewhere else above, fast and reliable wifi connection is a must. I'm
glad most law schools are already wifi connected.

5. A sturdy Bag
Need we say more? Law books are a pain in the body and back
and to carry so make sure to have a great backpack that will last
any law student 6 months and more. Some popular brands may be
had if it's within your budget. But really, I trashed a 10-day old bag
Big name backpack which costed me P3,500 about three years ago. So
make sure to do a test run, Or I should be making bags especially for law
students. Pick a nice one with interesting colors (to help color your dreary day).
Choose according to function and perhaps a dash of fashion and you'll never go
wrong. But remember, brand name popularity doesn't always translate to that
bag able to withstand the rigors of a 5-kilo law book load.

6. Study Haven apart from a school library or home


Let's admit it studying can take up 80% (I try to achieve 50%) of a law student's
waking hours, so make sure you have some sort of study haven apart from the
one in your room or your school library. This is why cafes are such a big hit for
law students, but of course not all of them are conducive for studying due to the
noise, big number of patrons, and limited space, and parking issues.

7. Set of highlighters
Female law students grab highlighters and use them all the time to highlight
everything (well, almost all). Some love them in different hues and colors and
they are available in your favorite book stores and school supply stores. It gave
me an idea to offer them in my future online store catering to law students and
medical students alike.

8. A Speed Reading Training Manual


Yes, it is handy to save up on a lot of time reading. There are some quite great
ones out in the market today. I'll dedicate another post on the subject soon.

9. Thick Notebooks (the paper ones)


If you are a doodler, then yes, but for the techie ones, you still need great note-
taking notebooks as a back up to you soft files. They can come handy during
your review.

10. Study Scheduler/Planner


A great study planner can be had from your smart phones. It helps manage your
limited time.

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Source: http://lawsandfound.blogspot.com/2013/09/top-10-things-law-student-
really-needs.html

CREATING THE LAW SCHOOL GAME PLAN

1. DO THE READING. Do all of the reading assigned for your courses.


Do not fall behind; you may never catch up. Do your reading at times
of the day when you are most alert. Also, do your reading in a location
where you will not be distracted or tempted to do something else.
Otherwise, you will find that it takes you far longer than necessary to
prepare for class.

2. BRIEF THE CASES. Take notes while reading. For each assigned
case, write down the legally significant facts, the holding of the case,
and the rationale for the court's decision. This is what is referred to as
"briefing" cases. Your case briefs should be just that-brief.

3. REVIEW BEFORE EACH CLASS. Review your reading notes (case


briefs) right before class. That way, the cases will be fresh in your
mind, and you will substantially increase your ability to follow the class
discussion (not to mention avoid the embarrassment associated with
being unprepared when called upon by the professor).

4. GO TO CLASS. Most professors cover some material in class that is


not discussed in the reading, so failure to attend class will put you at a
big disadvantage when you take the final exam. Also, you will receive
an "FW" if you miss more than 20% of the sessions of a course. This is
factored into your grade point average as an "F" and is never removed
from your academic record, even if you retake the course.

5. PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS. Some misguided students use class time


to shop on the Internet, play computer games or catch up on their e-
mail. You are paying a substantial amount of money for tuition. Do you
really want to spend your tuition money "surfing the net" or playing
computer solitaire instead of paying attention to the class discussion?

6. PARTICIPATE IN CLASS. Students learn best when they are actively


engaged in the learning process.

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7. TAKE CLASS NOTES. Do not, however, get so caught up in trying to


take down everything your professor says that you are not actively
engaged in the class discussion. Review your class notes before
starting your next reading assignment and analyze how the new cases
you read affect those cases you already have reviewed in class.

8. PREPARE AN OUTLINE FOR EACH OF YOUR CLASSES. Outlines


prepared by more senior students or commercial outlines are not
acceptable substitutes for making your own outlines. The analysis
necessary to prepare a course outline helps you determine the rules of
law applicable to the subject matter of the course, as well as determine
how the rules relate to one another. If you do not go through this
process, you are less likely to master the subject matter. Also, not all
professors teach a subject the same way. In fact, many professors do
not even teach a course the same way from one year to the next. The
only way to get an outline tailored to your course is to make it yourself.
Do NOT wait until the reading period to prepare your outlines; you'll
never get them done in time. Some students like to outline once per
week, others once per month. Still others prefer to outline whenever a
topic is completed. Pick whatever schedule works best for you and
stick to it.

9. CONSIDER FORMING A STUDY GROUP. Study groups can be a


valuable learning tool. Talking through material with classmates can
increase your understanding and retention of course material. You also
can obtain helpful study tips from your peers. If you decide to form a
study group, seek out other students who are well-prepared for class
and have similar academic goals. Do not let your study group meetings
become social or gossip sessions. Also, do not use study groups as a
way of sharing the workload. Lastly, if you find that you are not
benefiting from your study group, resign from the group.

10. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. Just because you don't have an exam
until the end of the semester does not mean that you should wait until
the reading period to begin your review. This is not undergraduate
school. You cannot cram right before finals and get good grades.

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Therefore, make time for frequent review over the course of the
semester.

11. ATTEND REVIEW SESSIONS CONDUCTED BY YOUR


PROFESSORS AND/OR THEIR ACADEMIC FELLOWS. Some
professors and/or Academic Fellows hold review sessions prior to
exams. This is a great way to clarify the issues about which you are
confused without having to stand in line outside your professor's office.
Moreover, helpful tips regarding how to write your exam answers in a
way that will earn you the most points are often shared during review
sessions.

12. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PROFESSORS. If


your professor distributes a practice question and says that she will
review your answer if you submit it by a certain time, DO IT! This is a
great opportunity to get your professor's input and make any necessary
adjustments before your performance is graded.

13. TAKE PRACTICE EXAMS. Lots of them. Exams previously


administered by your professor are preferable. This will help you
determine how your professor drafts his or her exams.

14. CREATE A STUDY PLAN. Many students complain that they do not
have enough time to brief cases, prepare outlines and/or take practice
exams.

15. REVIEW YOUR EXAMS. Meet with your professors to review your
exams after grades have been posted. This is the best way to
determine what you did well and what you need to improve.

16. MINIMIZE YOUR STRESS. Law school can be stressful, but there are
a number of steps you can take to keep stress to a minimum. Humor is
a great stress reliever. Make time for exercise-carrying 100 pounds of
law books every day doesn't count. Eat fruit, vegetables, and whole
grain foods on a regular basis-a diet Coke and a package of Ding-
Dongs are not a balanced breakfast. Don't overdo your caffeine intake;
drink lots of water instead. Get at least seven hours of sleep per night.
Maintain a life outside of law school. You don't need to give up all of

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the things you enjoyed doing before you went to law school; you just
won't be able to do them as often. Finally, if you think that your stress
level is getting out of control, talk about it with your significant other, a
family member, a close friend.

17. DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE COMPETITION ASPECT OF LAW


SCHOOL. Face it. Only one student can finish at the top of the class.
So instead of setting Numero Uno as your goal, focus on doing your
very best. Also, be supportive of and respectful to your classmates. It
will make for a more positive law school experience for you and your
peers.

18. GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. It is not uncommon for students to be
confused about the substantive law covered in their classes, how to
prepare for class, how to study for exams, how to manage their time or
how to take law school exams. Indeed, it is the rare student who does
not have questions about these subjects from time to time, particularly
during the first year of law school. If you have questions, there are a
number of resources available to you. Every professor holds weekly
office hours. The Academic Fellows for your courses also are available
to help you, as is Professor Faulkner. Please visit us if you have any
questions. We're here to help.

HOW TO DIGEST CASES

Digesting cases is a must in the college of law, this is actually regardless if it is


being required by your professor or not. Once cases are assigned, a law student
must observe due diligence and read these cases.
For freshmen law students, you may be wondering how to make case digests or
case briefs. Well, there are a few things to remember and they are:
1. Be aware of the specifics of the case or the syllabus concerned. In one
case alone, there could be multiple topics i.e. Political Law, Remedial Law, Civil
Law and there could be as many sub-topics i.e. for Political Law there could be
Police Power and Eminent Domain. Knowing these can properly guide you with
the “theme” of your digests. But usually, you will not have a hard time with this
because once cases are assigned; your professor would have specified these in
his handouts.
2. Read the full text of the case. And when I say read, don’t just breeze through
it. Try to understand it the first time. This will save you time because if you
understood it on the first reading, you won’t have to keep going back just to read

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it all over again. Highlighting important texts of the case which are related to the
topic you’re on will help you have a coherent grasp of the case.
3. Now after reading the case in full, you’re now ready to write your case
digest. In a “formal” case digest, there are five parts which are:

o Caption – This is just the title of the case. It can be as plain as “People vs
Juan de la Cruz” or detailed to include the SCRA number, GR number,
ponente and the date.
o Facts – This portion is supposed to answer the “Who, What, When, How,
Why” stuff of the case.
o Issues – This is the legal conflict or the legal controversy sought to be
resolved by the Supreme Court.
o Ruling – This is the decision or jurisprudence laid down by the court.
o Concurring/Dissenting Opinions – These are not always present in all cases
and normally they do not place any significance to the current ruling being
discussed (but they may serve a significant role in future Supreme Court
decisions especially when doctrines are reversed or totally abandoned).
These opinions may also be an additional explanation as to how certain
justices voted, the wisdom behind their votes, and as to how the decision is
reached. Be very wary because some professors would also ask questions
pertaining to these opinions – especially when such opinions are adopted as
the general rule in some future cases.

4. Other things you may want to consider may include: how your professor
conducts recitation, is your professor more of a “facts” guy or a “court ruling” guy;
either way, you can custom make your digests in a way that will make you
remember the facts and the jurisprudence of the case. Some students prefer
replacing the “characters” with letters like “X” and “Y” but that may not sit well
with other professors especially if they are meticulous with the facts of the case.
Source: www.uberdigests.info

FORMAT OF A CASE DIGEST


Format of the Case Digest
I. Caption. This includes the title of the case, the date it was decided,
and citation. Include also the petitioner, respondent, and the ponente.
II. Facts. There is no need to include all the facts. Just include those that are
relevant to the subject.
III. Issues. Include only those that are relevant. Issues are usually framed in the
form of questions that are answerable by "yes" or "no," for example, "Is the

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contract void?" Sometimes, students frame the question by starting it with the
word "whether," for example, "Whether the contract is void" or "Whether or not
the contract is void." The answer to the question has to be answered in the
ruling.
IV. Ruling. This usually starts with a "yes" or a "no." This is the answer to the
question/s involving the issue. After the categorical yes/no answer, the reason for
the decision will be explained.
V. Concurring and Dissenting Opinions. This part is optional, but it would help to
include them because there are professors who ask for separate opinions in
recitations.

Sample Case Digest


DOMINGO VS. COURT OF APPEALS
226 SCRA 572
Petitioner: Roberto Domingo
Respondents: Court of Appeals and Delia Soledad Avera
Ponente: J. Romero
FACTS:
On May 29, 1991, private respondent Delia Soledad A. Domingo filed the petition
entitled "Declaration of Nullity of Marriage and Separation of Property" against
Roberto Domingo. The petition, which was filed before Pasig RTC, alleged the
following:
(a) they were married on November 29, 1976;
(b) unknown to her (Delia), he had a previous marriage with Emerina dela Paz on
April 25, 1969 which marriage is valid and still existing;
(c) she came to know of the prior marriage only sometime in 1983 when Emerina
sued them for bigamy;
(d) since 1979, she has been working in Saudi Arabia and is only able to stay in
the Philippines when she would avail of the one-month annual vacation leave
granted by her employer;
(e) Roberto has been unemployed and completely dependent upon her for
support and subsistence;
(f) Her personal properties amounting to P350,000.00 are under the possession
of Roberto, who disposed some of the said properties without her knowledge and
consent;
(g) while on her vacation, she discovered that he was cohabiting with another
woman.

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Petitioner filed a Motion to Dismiss on the ground that the declaration of their
marriage, which is void ab initio, is superfluous and unnecessary. He further
suggested that private respondent should have filed an ordinary civil action for
the recovery of the properties alleged to have been acquired by their union.
RTC and CA dismissed the petitioner's motion for lack of merit.
ISSUES:
1) Whether or not a petition for judicial delaration of a void marriage is necessary.
(If in the affirmative, whether the same should be filed only for purpose of
remarriage.)
2) Whether or not the petition entitled "Declaration of Nullity of Marriage and
Separation of Property" is the proper remedy of private respondent to recover
certain real and personal properties allegedly belonging to her exclusively.
HELD:
1) Yes. The nullification of a marriage for the purpose of contracting another
cannot be accomplishedmerely on the basis of the perception of both parties or
of one that their union is defective. Were this so, this inviolable social institution
would be reduced to a mockery and would rest on a very shaky foundation.
On the other hand, the clause "on the basis solely of a final judgment delaring
such marriage void" in Article 40 of the Code denotes that such final judgment
declaring the previous marriage void is not only for purpose of remarriage.
2) Yes. The prayer for declaration of absolute nullity of marriage may be raised
together with the other incident of their marriage such as the separation of their
properties. The Family Code has clearly provided the effects of the declaration of
nullity of marriage, one of which is the separation of property according to the
regime of property relations governing them.
Hence, SC denied the instant petition. CA's decision is affirmed.

Source:http://diorysdiction.yolasite.com/diory-and-her-diction/how-to-write-a-
case-digest
TIPS FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Here is a compilation of tips for answering the MCQ Bar Examination, sourced
from the talk of Justice Abad & Atty. Abad:

1. In answering a question, look first at the question and answering it


yourself before looking at the choices.

2. In case of doubt, look at the intent of the examiner. You can also use the
process of elimination.

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LEGAL RESEARCH READING NO. 3
SURVIVING LAW SCHOOL
ATTY. NEL EDIZA

3. If you have to, guess. But guess intelligently.

4. In guessing, stick to one letter if you cannot arrive at an intelligent guess.

5. The MCQ will only have one answer that experts will generally agree on,
so do not worry about outlier answers.

6. Since it is choose the “CORRECT” not the “BEST” answer, pick the
answer that provides a correct response to the question.

7. Do not leave anything blank, it is not a right minus wrong exam.

8. Do not dwell on one number too long, if necessary, skip it. You need to
budget your time.

9. Mark unsure answers so you can review them before time is up.

10. Make sure you are shading the correct number.

11. Keep in mind the purpose of the questions:

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