V.

Life after the bar exam

A. 2017 Bar Examination Journey
According to the 2017 Bar Chairman and newly-appointed Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, there were
1,724 successful candidates who passed the 2017 Bar Examinations. Their number represents only
25.55% of the total of 6,748 who completed the exam. This passing rate is significantly lower than the
2016 passing rate of 59.09 per cent.1 Those successful candidates say that it takes great amount of grit
and determination to pass one of the most difficult licensure exams in the country – the Philippine
Bar. The Bar exam is the culmination of the four, five or more difficult years of law school. To be
able to pass, the Bar candidates must obtain an average of 75 per cent for all subjects in order to
successfully hurdle the exams and be qualified for admission into the practice of law. The road to
those Sundays is paved with all kinds of stories of pain, failure, and sacrifice. To be able to graduate
from law school is a feat in itself. Any law student would have their own ‘war stories’ about their
experiences in school.2

B. Admission and Oath of Successful Applicants

Section 2 of Rule 138 of the Rules of Court provides the requisites for the admission to the practice of
law, to wit:
Section 2. Requirements for all applicants for admission to the bar. — Every applicant
for admission as a member of the bar must be a citizen of the Philippines, at least twenty-
one years of age, of good moral character, and resident of the Philippines; and must
produce before the Supreme Court satisfactory evidence of good moral character, and that
no charges against him, involving moral turpitude, have been filed or are pending in any
court in the Philippines.
After passing the Bar, successful applicants need to take the lawyer’s oath and sign in the Roll of
Attorneys. Section 17 of Rule 138 states that an applicant who has passed the required examination,
or has been otherwise found to be entitled to admission to the bar, shall take and subscribed before the
Supreme Court an oath of office. The new lawyer swears before a duly constituted authority as an
attestation that he/she takes on the duties and responsibilities proper of a lawyer. The taking of this
oath is a condition to the admission to practice law and may only be taken before the Supreme Court
by a person authorized by the high court to engage in the practice of law. In the case of Sebastian vs.
Calis, the Supreme Court held that: “A lawyer's oath is not mere facile words, drift and hollow, but a
sacred trust that must be upheld and kept inviolable.” The oath embodies the ideals by which a lawyer
lives by in the practice of the legal profession. This is why the lawyer's oath has been likened to a
condensed version of the canons of professional responsibility.3

The lawyer's oath is a source of obligation and a lawyer may be disbarred or suspended for any
violation of his oath, a patent disregard of his duties, or an odious deportment unbecoming an
attorney. In Penilla vs. Alcid, the Supreme Court held that a lawyer must at no time be wanting in
probity and moral fiber which are not only conditions precedent to his entrance to the Bar but are
likewise essential demands for his continued membership therein. The honor bestowed upon a person
to carry the title of a lawyer does not end upon taking the Lawyer’s Oath and signing the Roll of
Attorneys. Rather, such honor attaches to him for the entire duration of his practice of law and carries
with it the consequent responsibility of not only satisfying the basic requirements but also going the
extra mile in the protection of the interests of the client and the pursuit of justice. Respondent has
defied and failed to perform such duty and his omission is tantamount to a desecration of the
Lawyer’s Oath.4

In the oath-taking of the 2017 successful Bar candidates, the Supreme Court Justices emphasized that
diligence, perseverance, humility, and respect are the foremost values new lawyers should possess.
They should also defend the institution of the courts against attacks that exceed the boundaries of
propriety and orderliness and thus threaten the Rule of Law. The Justices underscored the importance
of working hard, staying humble, and being respectful not only to their fellow members of the Bar but
to all as the keys to being successful.5

C. Duties of Attorneys
A lawyer is said to be the servant of the law and belongs to a profession to which society has
entrusted the administration of law and the dispensing of justice. In fact, it may be understood that the
words contained in the oath of office summarize the main duties and responsibilities a lawyer is
supposed to take on in the practice of law as enumerated in Section 20 of Rule 138.

The Supreme Court held in Alcantara vs. De Vera that the practice of law is not a right but a privilege
bestowed by the State upon those who show that they possess, and continue to possess, the
qualifications required by law for the conferment of such privilege. Membership in the bar is a
privilege burdened with conditions. This is for the reason that the Bar should maintain a high standard
of legal proficiency as well as of honesty and fair dealing. A lawyer brings honor to the legal
profession by faithfully performing his duties to society, to the bar, to the courts and to his clients. To
this end, a member of the legal profession should refrain from doing any act which might lessen in
any degree the confidence and trust reposed by the public in the fidelity, honesty and integrity of the
legal profession. A lawyer has the privilege and right to practice law only during good behavior and
can only be deprived of it for misconduct ascertained and declared by judgment of the court after
opportunity to be heard has been afforded him. Without invading any constitutional privilege or right,
an attorney’s right to practice law may be resolved by a proceeding to suspend or disbar him, based on
conduct rendering him unfit to hold a license or to exercise the duties and responsibilities of an
attorney.6
D. Career opportunities
The delivery of legal services is a complex process that typically requires teams of skilled
professionals to provide quality and cost-effective service. As a result, the legal field offers numerous
career options encompassing a diverse range of skills, experience, and education. The legal industry
has traditionally thrived, and it is a great option when choosing a career after passing the Bar.7

_______________________
1 Patag Kristine Joy, Philippine Star, 'It's all worth it', Bar 2017 passers say, available at
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/04/26/1809697/its-all-worth-it-bar-2017-passers-say (last accessed Nov 30, 2018)
2 Tugade Ross, What does it take to pass the Bar exams, available at http://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2017/05/04/bar-
exams-2017.html (last accessed Nov 30, 2018)
3 Sebastian v. Calis, 314 SCRA 1 (1999)
4 Penilla v. Alcid Jr., 705 SCRA 1 (2013)
5 Supreme Court of the Philippines, SC Justices Jardeleza, Bersamin, De Castro Exhort New Lawyers to “Work Hard,” Be
“Humble” and “Respectful,” and Defend the Judiciary, 2017, available at
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/pio/news/2018/06/06-01-18.php (last accessed Nov 30, 2018)
6 Alcantara v. De Vera, 635 SCRA 674 (2010)
7 Kane Sally, Legal Career Opportunities, Apr 30 2018, https://www.thebalancecareers.com/legal-career-opportunities-
2164281 (last accessed Nov 30, 2018)