Supreme Court Issues Bar Matter No. 2265

What had been passive talks along the corridors of law schools and as appetizer, almost wishful discussions during Bar Ops is now officially announced.  

On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court en banc finally signed Bar Matter No. 2265, otherwise known as Reforms in the 2011 Bar Examinations, saying that it has found merit in the proposed changes in the conduct of the bar examinations that the Chairperson of the 2011 Bar Examinations and Philippine Association of Law Schools recommended. 

These changes relate to provision of specific topics that will be covered by the exams, the use of multiple choice questions, and the revision of the usual style of giving essay tests.  

According to the High Court, the grading system shall be 60% for the MCQ and 40% for the Essay Test.  The Essay Test, the SC says, will not be bar subject specific; it would require the Bar candidate to prepare a trial memorandum or a decision based on a documented legal dispute, which will be 60% of the over-all 40% Essay Test share.  The remaining 40% will be the grade share for another part of the Essay Test that would involve writing of an opinion concerning a client's potential legal problem.

The essays will not be graded for technically right or wrong answers, but for the quality of the candidate’s legal advocacy, the SC assures.  

Since the MCQs will be checked electronically, the examiners' role will consist of preparing the MCQ questions and be members of two four-member panels who will be assigned to check the memoranda and the legal opinions submitted by the candidates. 

The SC further says that their upcoming experience and the data that will be gathered for the 2011 Bar Examinations will jump-start entertaining the feasibility of holding simultaneous Bar examinations outside of Metro Manila, and of allowing those who pass the MCQ examinations but fail the essay-type examinations to take removal examinations in the immediately following year.

Copies of Bar Matter No. 2265 were published in most newspapers of general circulation on January 26, 2011, along with a Notice by the Supreme Court en banc approving the proposal of Associate Justice Roberto Abad, the 2011 Bar Exams Committee Chairman, to move the exams from September to November 2011.

For a copy of the Bar Matter, download here.

--- Ireen ---

Office of the Solicitor General Needs Interns

If you are an incoming junior or senior law student for SY 2011-2012, you have the chance to hone your lawyering skills and knowledge earlier than your graduation or actual admission to the Bar.

The Office of the Solicitor General has launched its annual "Patriots Wanted" program formally known as the 2011 Summer Legal Internship Program.

According to the OSG, through the Internship Program, the Legal Interns shall draft pleadings for real cases, and will have the chance to attend court hearings with OSG lawyers as well as attend lectures and seminars on various legal topics.

The Internship Program provides legal interns the opportunity to experience the practice of law and gives them an appreciation of public service, according to an advert posted by the OSG.

Deadine for submission of applications is until January 29, 2011. Applicants may e-mail their applications to legalinternship@osg.gov.ph. For more information, call Tel. Nos. 02-8186381 or 02-817-6140. See the OSG Website for more details.

--- Ireen ---

More Changes for Philippine Bar Exams

After the news on Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) with memorandum writing as newly-introduced style for the upcoming Philippine Bar examinations, the Supreme Court recently announced two additional developments.  

According to the High Court, the 2011 entrance tests for lawyers will be moved to November instead of the usual month of September, so as to veer away from the heavy rains and typhoons that happen mostly within this month.  

To recall, the SC was forced to postpone the last Sunday during the 2009 examinations because of the massive flooding in Metro Manila area at the height of typhoon Ondoy.

Another change is that the examinees are expected not to troop to De La Salle University in Taft Avenue, Manila, which had been the case for years, but would be pushing their test pens in the University of Sto. Tomas instead.  Change of venue, the SC says, came about after the DLSU declined to renew its lease contract for the holding of the exams in its campus.

--- Ireen ---