Student # 2016 - 1 - 001814

Legal Counselling - 1A

A CHOICE

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” - Edward Burke

I came across the above line when I was watching Netflix’s animated adaptation of the video

game “Castlevania”, where Alucard was pleading to Count Dracula that he spare the village of Wallachia

and its people after burning his wife alive at the stake. Alucard argued that the people should not be made

responsible for the actions of the Church as they did not have a choice. Count Dracula responded that the

choice they made was to stand idly by when injustice was staring at them right in the face.

It is very much apparent that this scene struck quite a huge chord in me. Especially in light of the

recent events that, I believe, has been a plague to the very virtues, and ambitions that our forefathers have

fought for us. I, however, remain an onlooker. Someone who always have something satirical to comment

to the Duterte supporters in a conversation with friends or a rage fuelled tweet that mocks their intelli-

gence but here lies the problem, it all ends there. All my opinions and my so called ideals ends in a safe

space that leaves me unscathed from the destruction and injustice that has crossed our country. But that

is not the worst of my fears. What scares me the most is that in five years time, I might stay the same

way. A perpetual onlooker that turns the other cheek when the wails of the sacrificial lambs this admin-

istration has carefully handpicked can be heard from all over the country.

In five years, I can see myself in two possible ways, but is very much dependent on the choices I

make at this very moment in my life. One is to be an associate in a private law firm1 in my home province

of Iloilo while the other is to join organizations which primarily aims to protect the rights of the Filipino

people or a government agency like the Commission of Human Rights in one of their regional offices2.

With my first option, Judge Barte claims that this is the safest choice when you’re a fresh lawyer

who is just coming off from passing the bar exam because it offers better opportunities as compared to

being a solo practitioner3. And I agree. I see myself working with my brother under the supervision of

1
Judge Recaredo Barte, Legal Counselling For the Young Lawyer 13 (2007 Edition).
2
Id at 14.
3
Id at 12.
our dad in his law office as an associate which has always been an end goal for me, and it is one of his

dreams to work side by side with his sons. It is very efficient or you could say quite favourable on my

end to be joining my dad rather than going into a solo practice where they start off with a precarious

clientele and an unstable income to lean on during the first years of maiden practice4. However, knowing

my dad, he has a very extreme and strict work ethic that he wants to pass on to his sons. So I could see

the work load to be heavy and expectations to be high. The said workload would probably be giving legal

advice to clients where I’ll give recommendations where I provide the best courses of action based from

my legal knowledge , and the facts and evidences provided by the client5 and drafting of various plead-

ings6 that would have reaching the late hours of the night to finish. Though I may have a different opinion

prior to my legal counselling class, I have to agree now that is never right to excessively persuade a client

to follow your legal opinion when it is borderline coercive7. The role of a lawyer is to assist the client in

deciding but he does not have the power to force him to do so.8

Generally, if I choose this career path, I could see myself working for clients at all hours of the

day which could possibly take up most of my time seven days a week. So when you talk to me regarding

balancing my work and possible social life, I’ll honestly tell you that I would allow the latter to suffer to

boost my legal career and reputation. Though I’ll be partnering up with my dad, I also want to build my

own and separate practice which means that it is very important to have a strong lawyer-client relation-

ship9.

I’m very ambitious, if I lived through the time of Caesar, particularly on the day of my death,

Brutus would claim the same thing. However, it is because of my ambition that I could see myself slaving

away in the office, though I have no qualms with that, there would always be a lingering question that

begs an answer. Do I really want this?

This brings us to my second option, government employment10 or joining an organization that

primarily focuses on the protection of human rights. This may seem rather ambitious but it is a trait of

4
Id at 11.
5
Id. at 43.
6
Id.
7
Id. at 44.
8
Barte supra note at 1, 44.
9
Id at 67.
10
Barte supra note 2.
mine that I actually have, and such a career path may be possible for me but what I currently lack is the

drive to actually pursue such course of action. Judge Barte discusses some advantages of being a gov-

ernment employee, particularly the one about specialization11. Where after a stint of five years and I

could adequately feel prepared already to stand on my own feet12 where I could choose to represent an

organization I whole heartedly believe to be in line with my own ideals. Consequently, there’s always

the fear of being too comfortable in a government position that would restrict me from stretching my

wings and becoming my own man13. I’m not entirely sure of the workload in this career choice but I

know I’ll be a better person after.

However, a choice still needs to be made, and I honestly can’t make one right now as one relies

on the assurance of a stable income and clientele while the other focuses on a passion endeavour that I’m

still unsure that I can deliver when the time comes. Talking to some friends and they would always tell

me that I could always do both side by side. I have to disagree because just as the saying goes, a man

cannot serve two masters at once. Ever since we were kindergarteners, we were asked by our teachers

what do we want to be in the future and ever since I’ve always answered that I wanted to be a lawyer.

However, we were never asked what kind of person do we want to be in the future. I will be a lawyer

that is for certain, but what kind of lawyer?

As of now, I cannot give a solid answer but I do believe that down the line, I’ll find a way of life

that I can be proud of. Regardless of what I choose, there is always something honourable in both pro-

fessions where both are rooted in the timeless virtue of service. Therefore, whatever I choose, I know

that I will be happy.

11
Id at 15.
12
Id.
13
Id.