My Journey To BAR

March 26, 2012, Manila, Philippines

My journey to the legal profession started when I entered law school.  Law school is a very jealous boyfriend or first husband (pardon with the gender common name.  I remember my first Professor who described law school as such.  He said that entering law school with ultimate goal of becoming a lawyer is like a long engagement and your oath taking as a lawyer is your marriage to the profession) or It requires your 101% focus, loyalty, commitment, time management and discipline to study the law.  As mentored by professors and those reviewing for the bar then, as early as first year, you should be trained to read 50-100 pages a day. Why? You need to read as many as 50-100 cases per meeting (Lucky enough, the longest case I read was around 20-40 pages? Not sure, but definitely, not 400-1000 page in one case) and you also need to read the codal and explanation of the law authorities in various law books. Why you need to read those cases, codals and law books?  You need to prepare for recitation every meeting.  You should be able to answer each questions by the Professor with legal basis in order to pass more or less 50% of the passing grade.  The other 50% will be coming from major examinations (verbal or written).

Law school is another 4-year/5-year course, plus one year of review and more or less 6 months waiting period for the release.  After all the years of studying the law, labor, sacrifices, hardships, heartaches and tears, I can say, its all worth it. My journey to the bar was never been easy.  It was really like a camel passing through the eye of a needle.  I am thankful I always had my father’s[1] back who pushed me hard to study and never stop believing in me that one day I would finally fulfill my dream to be a lawyer.

The most important lesson I learned in my journey to the Bar was that we might have failed at times but maybe those were only “delayed victory” because God wanted it in His own perfect time. Keep the faith in Him and trust no other but God.  When my grades were handed to me and saw them, I cannot really believe the grades I got. The Lord is really Great! He let me not just passed the bar but almost and nearly had topped it! 

To all who were been part of this journey (be it good ones or not so good ones), my forever gratefulness.  To God, belongs all the Glory!

(Whatever you prayed for, believe and it will be given to you, Matthew 21:22)

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[1] My dear father died 4 months after I passed the Bar. Today his 40th day in Heaven