REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

SUPREME COURT
Office of the Bar Confidant
Manila

IN THE MATTER OF
COMPLIANCE WITH
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER NO.
17-03-09-SC OR THE RULE ON Pet. No.:
COMMUNITY LEGAL AID _________________
SERVICE ,

DELA CRUZ, JUANA

Petitioner.
x---------------------------------------------x

PETITION FOR EXTENSION

COMES NOW the undersigned Petitioner unto this

Honorable Office respectfully states:

TIMELINESS OF THE PETITION

1. Section 13(b) of Rule II of the Implementing Rules and

Regulations of A.M. no. 17-03-09-SC otherwise known as
the Rule on Community Legal Aid Service (the “CLAS Rule”),
it provides that “The petition for extension must be filed
within sixty (60) days before the lapse of the period for
compliance.”

2. Section 6 of the CLAS Rule requires herein petitioner

to complete the community legal aid service within twelve
(12) months from June 7, 2018 – the date she signed the
Roll of Attorneys.

Hence, this Petition is timely filed.

 THE PARTIES

3. Petitioner is of legal age, Filipino, single, and currently

a resident of __________________________________________ and
with office address in
______________________________________, where she may be
served with orders and legal processes of this Honorable
Office.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

4. On 26 April 2018, Petitioner passed the November

2017 Bar Examination. She was admitted to the Bar on 07
June 2018. A copy of her Certificate of Membership in the
Bar is herein attached as Annex “A”.

5. Sometime in 2018, the Supreme Court issued

Administrative Matter No. 17-03-09-SC otherwise known as
the Rule on Community Legal Aid Service, and hereinafter
called the “CLAS Rule”.

6. Section 4 of the CLAS Rule defines lawyers who are

covered thereby, viz:

(a) Covered lawyers are those who have successfully

passed the Annual Bar Examinations and have
signed the Roll of Attorneys for that particular year;
for purposes of this Rule, it shall include those who
will pass the 2017 Bar Examination and are admitted
to the Bar in 2018;

7. Section 5 of the CLAS Rule likewise devolves upon

covered lawyers the obligation to render pro bono legal aid
services to qualified parties, viz:

(a) Number of Hours - Covered lawyers, as defined

under Section 4(a) are required to render one
hundred twenty (120) of pro bono legal aid services to
qualified parties. xxx

8. Pursuant to the foregoing provisions of the rule,

Petitioner is a covered lawyer who is mandated to render at

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least 120 hours of pro bono legal aid services within a period
of one (1) year from the date of her admission to the bar, or
until 07 June 2019.

9. It bears stressing that the Petitioner, as a new member

of the bar, supports the intent and causes of the Supreme
Court in issuing the CLAS Rule.

10. Petitioner likewise agrees and concedes to the

rationale behind the said rule as embodied in Section 2
thereof and as envisioned by Section 11, Article III of the
Constitution, that adequate legal assistance must be readily
available to the public in an efficient and convenient
manner compatible with the independence, integrity and
effectiveness of the legal profession.

GROUND

11. The nobility and uprightness of the CLAS Rule is

undisputed but compliance thereto is exceptionally difficult
for newly minted lawyers just like the Petitioner.

12. Herein Petition for Extension is being filed on the

ground of time constraints which restricts the Petitioner
from complying on time with the Rule.

On 01 February 2018, the Petitioner was

hired by _______________________ as one of
its __________________________. After passing
the 2017 Bar Examination and being
admitted to the Bar on 07 June 2018,
______________ appointed her as an
Attorney. A copy of her Appointment Paper
is herein attached as Annex “B”.

Before her appointment, the Petitioner was

able to render an amount of hours of pro
bono legal aid services with her IBP Chapter
– IBP Quezon City. A copy of her
Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) – Time
Record is herein attached as Annex “C”.

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 However, upon her appointment, her duties
and responsibilities as an Attorney of the
______________ multiplied and thus restrict
her from complying with the CLAS Rule. The
Petitioner has to file a leave from her work
so she can render legal aid service.

Moreover, there are limited available

services offered by the IBP on weekends as
most legal aid activities are conducted on
weekdays which is very inconvenient for the
Petitioner for the reason of her employment
with the _______________ and other equally
important duties.

13. Thus, considering the reasons cited above, petitioner’s

deferment from the CLAS Rule is warranted.

14. It is respectfully prayed that this Honorable Office

grant this petition by considering petitioner’s heavy
workload, schedule constraints, and economic
considerations, as justifiable reasons for the delay in CLAS
Rule compliance.

PRAYER

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that

Petitioner’s period of compliance for the Community Legal
Aid Service Rule be extended for a period of one (1) year
from 07 June 2019, or until 07 June 2020.

Other reliefs just and equitable are likewise prayed for.

Quezon City for Manila, 28 May 2019.

Respectfully submitted.

JUANA DELA CRUZ

Petitioner
Roll of Attorneys No. _______, June 07, 2018
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 IBP No. __________, 07 January 2019, Quezon City
PTR No. ___________, 11 January 2019, Quezon City
MCLE Compliance No. VI – ____________, 20 November 2018

VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION AGAINST FORUM

SHOPPING

I, JUANA DELA CRUZ, of legal age, under oath,

hereby depose and state that:

1. I am the petitioner in this case.

2. I prepared the foregoing Petition, the contents of

which are true and correct based on my personal
knowledge and the records at hand.

3. I have not commenced any action involving the

same issues in this case before the Supreme Court, the
Court of Appeals or any other court or government agency.
Should I discover that one such action or proceeding is in
fact pending, I undertake to so advise this Honorable Court
within five (5) days from notice.

JUANA DELA CRUZ

Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this ____ day of

____________ in Quezon City, Philippines. Affiant personally
known to be, personally appeared and vouched that all the
foregoing declarations are true to the best of his personal
knowledge.

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