July 7, 2020

REACTION PAPER
By
CHERRY JEAN O. ROMANO
(JDSA 311)
Topics:
1. Career Journeys in Faith and Justice by Atty. Aldwin Salumbides
2. Boundaries and Limitations: A Self-Care Guide for Lawyers and Law Students by Atty.
Charles Michael Puno

This is the first of the Online Series conducted by the PUP College of Law in partnership with
the Christians on Demand at Law (CODAL). The topics are very timely and relevant for us at
this moment primarily because as we are preparing ourselves for a career in legal profession, we
must always be reminded of our faith in God and how to act accordance with the limits set by
ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Atty. Salumbides reminded us to keep our faith grounded. That as soon to be lawyers, we are not
only accountable to people, but most importantly to God. As we work towards achieving justice
for our clients, we should not lose grip to our faith and our beliefs. And that to never lose sight in
our career even if justice is not served because at the end of the day, justice can still be attained
at the heavens. It is through God, that justice is served.
After the inspiring, interactive and enlightening discussion of Atty. Salumbides, Atty. Puno
shared some insights on how to know one’s boundaries and limitations. His self-care guide is
very practical. He reminded us that it is definitely okay to say no and avoiding things that will
drain and stress ourselves. He emphasized the importance of taking care of ourselves and that it
is nothing to be sorry about because in the end, you can only do so much based on our capacity.
Self-care is not selfish he said to which I agree. We should look out for ourselves because if not,
then who will?
Yesterday’s discussion was very helpful for our growth as a person in the legal profession. It
reminded us that we are not robots with no emotions or faith, but we are a person capable of
feeling those emotions, living our faith and are vulnerable to stress. I look forward for another
deep and meaningful discussion such as this to remind me that there is life beyond law books.