Bar Ops Reinvented: A Proposed Quasi Bar Operations Program

I. Background
1. Taking the bar is like figthing a battle. To win, you need to know the enemy
and his weapons (e.g. laws and jurisprudence). But laws and jurisprudence are dy
namic. What we have read in our law books may have been changed by a recent SC d
ecision.
2. To compound the situation, recent cases and new laws up to 6 months prior to
the bar exam month may be included by the examiners. But bar reviewers may not h
ave the time to browse through new cases.
3. In the past the SC website has a section called "Benchmark" where doctrines f
rom the latest landmark decisions are summed up in a news article. But this port
ion of the site is no longer existing.
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II. Problem
So how can FU barristers, as well as students, stay updated with new changes in
laws and jurisprudence?
Other schools have a Bar Ops Program that provides material support and assistan
ce to bar candidates representing the Faculty in the annual bar examinations. Th
e Bar Operations provide case digest, legal articles and updated statutory and j
urisprudential information to the Facultys bar candidates.
These schools, however, can do this because they have large student population.
While FU College of Law & Jurisprudence may lack the manpower to mount a full-bl
own bar ops team, we can improvise and make our own version of a bar operations.

-->Bar Operations Committee. The Bar Operations is an annual endeavor by the adm
inistration of the Faculty of Civil Law, together with selected students, to pro
vide moral, psychological and material support and assistance to bar candidates
representing the Faculty in the annual bar examinations. The Bar operations prov
ide case digest, legal articles and updated statutory and jurisprudential inform
ation to the Facultys bar candidates.
III. Solution
To address the above problem:
1. Research and take advantage of available information online:
--> law and jurisprudence
- find latest rulings:
-->IBP's Bar Tribune (http://www.ibp.ph/publications.html)(http://www.ibp.ph/ind
ex2.html)
-->PhilJA Bulletin (http://philja.judiciary.gov.ph/bulletin.htm)
2. Search through landmark rulings in other journals
3. Use the newspaper articles: Inquirer (Bernas), Philippine Star( Jose Sison),
etc. Clippings. Photograph & Download to Blog site.
(optional: case digest, legal articles and updated statutory and jurisprudential
information to the Facultys bar candidates.
-- 1 case per student, each year level; digest only issues wt subjects being tak
en)

4. Create practice exams for barristers: One MCQ per week per student (to serve
as training/study aid)
--> Post info on blog : Arrange per bar subject for easy reference
(--> Subscription to law journal
--> CD Asia Lex Libris Student Edition)
--->Plan to implement (left to Dean's discretion)
Not all students will be willing to participate in this program. And it may be h
ard to do all of this on a voluntary-basis. If the Dean consents, this can be ma
de as an extra-curricular activity.
Implementation:
- Each year level (1st to 3rd) will contribute to the program
--> Students of Political law: research on political law
--> Students of OBlicon, research on oblicon.
- Assign at least 2 persons per week to work
IV. Benefits
This is an additional burden, but the benefits can be worth all the troubles:
- Sense of responsibility
- Widened knowledge of the law
- Increased arsenal for bar exams
V. Closing
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Lex Libris Student Edition
http://www.cdasia.com/2011/04/08/student-edition/
A portable and easy-to-access law library especially designed for law students.
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(http://www.cdasiastore.com/catalog/cdasia-online)
12 Months: P15,120.00
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let's say there are 50 students: P25.32/month
Decisions of the Supreme Court from 1901 to the present, with available case syn
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The complete Philippine Jurisprudence and Laws databases are accessible on the I
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http://philja.judiciary.gov.ph/
http://philja.judiciary.gov.ph/publication.htm
http://philrep.judiciary.gov.ph/