ASIDO, ALYSA KRISTEL R.
(11/3/2022)
REQUIREMENTS AND FORMALITIES TO THE [Link]
ADMISSION TO THE PRACTICE OF LAW --- PH Attorney Requirements & Bar Exam ---
--- Rule 138 of the PH Rules of Court: Attorneys and o 2016: LEB (Legal Education Board) added
Admission to Bar ---
educational requirements like the need to take
Section. 1. Who may practice law. (Any person and pass a uniform nationwide Philippine Law
duly admitted as a member of the bar; admitted School Admission Test & shall complete the
in accordance with the provisions of this rule; in courses in law school duly recognized by the
good and regular standing) government (Sec. 5, Rule 138 of the Rules of
Section 2. Requirements for all applicants for Court)
admission to the bar . (Citizen of the PH; at least o 2010 amendment of Rule 138 by the SC:
21 y/o; of good moral character; resident of the allowing Filipino citizens who studied law in a
PH; must produce before the SC satisfactory foreign country to take the PH BE with such
evidence of good moral character; no charges requirements (completion of all courses leading
filed or pending in any PH court including moral to a degree of Bachelor of Law or equivalent;
turpitude) recognition of the law school by the authority;
Section 3. Requirements for lawyers who are completion of all 4th-year subjects in law school
citizens of the USA . (US citizens who became accredited by the government; proof of
lawyers before July 4, 1946, and who actively completing a separate bachelor’s degree)
practice law in the PH courts, upon satisfactory o Passing general average: 75% in all bar subjects;
proof of those facts before the SC, be allowed to no grade below 50% in any particular subject; the
continue after stating the oath of office) Supreme Court En Banc may agree to lower the
Section 4. Requirements for applicants from passing rate for a particular year
other jurisdictions. (Filipino citizens who are o Passing the BE, stating the oath, and signing
enrolled attorneys in SC, highest court, district their name in the Roll of Attorneys, applicants
court, or any circuit CA in the US may be then become members of the legal
admitted without examination upon the Court’s profession/full-pledged PH attorneys.
discretion given that they are able to show o Candidates who fail 3 bar exams must prove that
satisfactory certificates indicating they have they have enrolled in and passed regular 4 th-year
practiced at least 5 years in any of the said courts bar review classes & attended a pre-bar review
which began before July 4, 1946 and have never course (Sec. 16, Rule 138 of the Rules of Court)
been suspended or disbarred.)
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Section 5. Additional requirements for other
requirements-bar-exam/
applicants (Other applicants must satisfactorily
show their regular study of law for 4 years & ------ REALIZATIONS----
complete all prescribed courses in law school or
As a Political Science student who endeavors to
university recognized by the Secretary of
be a practitioner of law, I could say that the requirements
Education; candidate’s affidavit with certificate
and formalities imperative to the admission to the bar are
from law school/university as evidence & further
quite far from what I had expected. A realization hits me
evidence may be required by the court; shall
that it is more than just memorizing the laws or being able
completed: civil law, commercial law, remedial
to state which statute is applicable inside a court. It is
law, criminal law, public and private international
beyond the hype I felt when watching lawyering series in
law, political law, labor and social legislation,
my laptop. Upon reading such information, it made me
medical jurisprudence, taxation, & legal ethics)
rethink of the dream I want to pursue. Rethink not
Section 6. Pre-law (must have pursued and
because of doubts, but because of the greater person
completed 4 years of high school, earned a four-
that I would be when I am already a full-pledged attorney.
year bachelor of arts or sciences degree with any
If I were to describe the vision of my journey as an
of the field: political science, logic, english,
aspiring lawyer, extremely hard would an understatement,
spanish, history, & economics)
for it would be beyond imaginable painful. However, it is
Section 9. Examination; subjects (Civil Law;
the pain that I would like to feel many times, if necessary,
Labor & Social Legislation; Mercantile Law;
just so I could heal the wounds of my future clients. It
Criminal Law; Political Law; International Law;
would be tolerable to experience great suffering and
Taxation; Remedial Law; Legal Ethics, &
sacrifices because I know that I do this for others, for my
Practical Exercises)
country. I also realized that the reality speaks that I have
Section 10 – 13 (During the examination proper
a lot of doors in front that I still need to unlock, but I am
spearheaded/conducted by a committee of bar
also far from where I started. Additionally, I learned that it
examiners)
takes blood and sweat to get such license, but it is so
Section 14 – 16 (passing average; report of the
easy to lose it. Cliché as it may sound, the practice of law
committee; review course for failing candidates)
is all or nothing. It brought me to a realization that being a
Section 17-37 (successful admission to the bar;
lawyer is an unceasing path of learning. With this, I
specifications of a member of the bar)
ASIDO, ALYSA KRISTEL R. (11/3/2022)
always carry with me the Latin maxim: dura lex sed lex
(the law is harsh, but it is the law).
