How To Be A

Lawyer in the
Philippines?
We arefor
(Guide like snowflakes,
those who wantall
to
different in our
enter law own beautiful
school)
way.
By Manuel Rodriguez II

2020 Edition
 Philippine Copyright, 2020
By
Atty. Manuel A. Rodriguez II

All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may

be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means, including
information storage and retrieval systems,
without written permission from the author.

Published by
Manuel Rodriguez II
Manila, Philippines
 For my Mom & Dad (+), for
teaching me the value of truth and
justice.

For Jera, for choosing me every

single day.

For Him who is the Ultimate

Fountain of Knowledge, Wisdom,
and The Law.
The road to being an

“ATTORNEY”

takes the involvement of one to

the grueling PHILIPPINE LEGAL
EDUCATION, not to mention also
the nationally celebrated BAR
EXAMINATIONS.

RODRIGUEZ LAW PH
 The Philippine legal
education is offered by
more than a hundred law
schools in the country
supervised by
The
LEGAL
EDUCATION
BOARD
The Legal Education Board, or known widely by its abbreviation LEB, is an
independent government agency responsible for the regulation of
the legal education in the Philippines. The agency was created on
December 23, 1993 through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7662 or
the Legal Education Act of 1993

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For some time,
an aspiring
lawyer need to
pass a national
standard test
before enrolling
in a law school,
as of 2019 this
scheme has
been scrapped
down.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY

The Supreme Court (SC) struck down with finality the Legal Education Board's (LEB) orders
and memorandums requiring aspiring law students to take up Philippine Law School
Admission Test (PhilSAT). https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087808

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The aspirant only needs to pass the
entrance exams if there will be any
or other requirements of the law
school he or she intends to enroll.

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Colleges and Universities that produced most number of Bar
Topnotchers from 1913 to 2018

https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/top-law-schools-philippines-a00203-20190503

The most recent 2019 Bar

examinations was topped by
Mae Diane Azores from the
University of Santo Tomas –
Legazpi (formerly Aquinas
University)

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 What law schools did our Chief
Justices (CJ) studied?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_Philippines#Demographics

The incumbent CJ, Atty. Diosdado Peralta was appointed

Chief Justice last October 23 2019, he is from the
University of Santo Tomas.
There are hundreds law
schools in the country.
Some of them does not
require entrance
examinations.

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The legal education in the Philippines unlike in England
and other ‘common law’ countries, is considered a
professional or post-baccalaureate program.

You need a college degree

Going to
college?
Know your strengths
and weaknesses.
Figure out what you
need to work on,
then choose a
course that
best prepares you
for the rigors of law
school
Mapa, Belle (2018), Want to be a Lawyer? Here are the https://images.app.goo.gl/AacAoF52qctnKyet6
Best Pre-law Courses!, 24 Sept. 2018
https://portal.edukasyon.ph/blog/what-are-the-5-best-
pre-law-courses

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Doctor of Jurisprudence

©Rocel Grace M. Tipon

JURIS DOCTOR
The degree granted by our legal
education is the J.D. or the Juris Doctor.
 Juris Doctor
One need such educational degree to qualify for the
Bar examinations conducted and administered by no
less than the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

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 LL.B
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor
of Laws or LL.B
used to be
the most
common
degree offered
by Philippine
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
law schools.

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 However, in December 2018, the
LEB phased out the degree and
was migrated to the J.D., a
doctorate level degree.

http://banilad.uc.edu.ph/school-of-law/?p=1687

The phasing out also applied to those who are already holders
of the LL.B, meaning their degree morphed into a J.D. so to
speak.

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 © Atty. Ferolini Matahum

Some schools even issued new

diplomas and held a
conferment ceremony for this
development.
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 In taking the Bar
examinations, aside from
holding the J.D. degree, the
candidate must also be a
Filipino citizen and at least
21 years old.

https://images.app.goo.gl/QkBM2WVbUCcusFrv8

The Philippines follow the principle of “JUS SANGUINIS”

Meaning citizenship is determined or acquired by the nationality or
ethnicity of one or both parents.

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 Foreign Law Degree
If the Filipino candidate earned his or her law degree outside
the Philippines, the following must be complied before taking
the Bar examinations:
1. Completion of
all courses
leading to the
foreign law
degree;
2. Recognition of
the law school
by the proper
foreign
authority;
3. Completion of
https://today.law.harvard.edu/harvard-law-school-celebrates-the-class-of-2019/
all 4th year
subjects in a
law school in
the Philippines;
and
4. Must have
completed a https://commencement.stanford.edu/events/diploma/law
separate
college degree.

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“
The Bar exams is the
sole licensure
examination for
admission to the “
general practice of
law.

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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

“For law graduates intending to

practice Islamic Law, the Special
Bar Exams for Shari’a Court
Lawyers are given every 2 years,
also by the Supreme Court.”
A sharia lawyer according to Bar Matter No. 681, a Supreme Court
decision made en banc in August 5, 1993, is a "special member" of
the Bar and not a fully pledged member.

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 https://www.rappler.com/nation/168692-record-high-pass-2016-bar-exams-results-philippines

After hurdling the

Bar examinations,
the candidate is
now entitled to
take and subscribe
before the
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/06 Supreme Court
the Lawyer’s Oath
/13/1926116/new-lawyers-take-oath-
reminded-integrity-legal-profession

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 LAWYERS’ OATH
I,_______________, do solemnly swear that I
will maintain allegiance to the Republic of the
Philippines, I will support the Constitution and
obey the laws as well as the legal orders of the
duly constituted authorities therein; I will do no
falsehood, nor consent to the doing of any in
court; I will not wittingly or willingly promote or
sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit, or
give aid nor consent to the same; I will delay no
man for money or malice, and will conduct
myself as a lawyer according to the best of my
knowledge and discretion, with all good fidelity
as well to the courts as to my clients; and I
impose upon myself these voluntary obligations
without any mental reservation or purpose of
evasion. So help me God.

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The Certificate
of Membership
to the Philippine
Bar will be
granted by the
Supreme Court
through the
Office of the Bar
Confidant only
after the
candidate sign
his or her name
in the Roll of
Attorneys.
Only then the candidate
shall be full-fledged lawyer
and use the title
“Attorney.”

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 The full names of lawyers are found in the
Roll of Attorneys in the Supreme Court. Its
contents may be accessed in the LAW LIST
published also by the Supreme Court and in
the records of the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines (IBP).

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The IBP is the mandatory membership
organization of all lawyers in the
Philippines.
The IBP is administered by a Governing Board
consisting of nine Governors representing the
nine regions of the IBP. The Governing Board
elects the IBP National President and IBP
Executive Vice President from among
themselves or from outside the Board.
Photo: Author with
the IBP President,
Atty. Domingo
Cayosa

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If you are aspiring to
be a lawyer, start
analyzing yourself.

To be a lawyer is not a
walk in the park, for
one must possess both
the mental and
emotional fitness.

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 © Atty. Emma Mercado

But take note that for those

who are already lawyers, he
or she must possess the
moral fitness to have social
relevance in the practice of
his or her noble profession.
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 It is necessary for a lawyer
to stay true to his or her
oath in upholding the rule
of law and justice.

This Photo by Unknown

Photo: Lawyers giving pro bono legal service Author is licensed under CC BY

RODRIGUEZ LAW PH
 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Intelligence and
determination are not
everything. If one is unsure
to uphold moral fitness,
perhaps he or she should
consider another ambition.
About the
Author

MANUEL RODRIGUEZ is an environmentalist, educator, journalist,

lawyer, sports enthusiast and an advocate of good governance and
human rights. He is an alumnus of the Faculty of Arts and Letters,
University of Santo Tomas (UST) wherein he graduated with a degree of
Bachelor of Arts. He acquired his law degree from the Institute of Law
of the Far Eastern University (FEU) where he was editor of The Far
Eastern Law Review.

Aside from being a writer, he held campus leadership positions both in

college and law school. In UST, he was an elected student government
officer, a football varsity, vice president of UNESCO local chapter, and
the Chairperson of the Students' Democratic Party, the oldest "student
political party" in the Philippines. In FEU, he served as Article Editor and
Managing Editor of The Far Eastern Law Review for the 2013 and 2014
respectively. He was also the Chairperson for Litigation of the Legal Aid
Bureau for 2012, and its Secretary-General (president) for 2013.

A former professorial lecturer at the College of Arts and Sciences of the

Lyceum of the Philippines University. He has a wide array of experience
in lecturing his advocacy from the formal classroom set-up to town hall
meetings in the barrios.
© 2020 Atty. Manuel Rodriguez II
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