aBAR MATTER 1153

Philippine Bar Now Open to Filipinos with Foreign Law Degrees

March 23, 2010
By Anna Katrina M Martine!
 "he #$pre%e
#$pre%e &o$rt 'n Banc has recently
recently appro(e)
appro(e) the propose)
propose) a%en)%ents
a%en)%ents to
#ections * an) + o -$le 13. o the -$les o &o$rt, allowing Filipino gra)$ates o
oreign law schools to ta/e the Philippine Bar, s$ect to certain con)itions

#ection * o the -$le now pro(i)es that eore eing a)%itte) to the ea%ination,
all applicants or a)%ission to the ar shall satisactorily show that they ha(e
s$ccess$lly co%plete) all the prescrie) co$rses or the )egree o Bachelor o Laws
or its e$i(alent )egree in a law school or $ni(ersity o4cially recogni!e) y the
Philippine 5o(ern%ent or y the proper a$thority in the oreign $ris)iction where
the )egree has een grante)

#ection * now also pro(i)es that a Filipino citi!en 6who gra)$ate) ro% a oreign law
school shall e a)%itte) to the ar ea%ination only $pon s$%ission
s$%ission to the
#$pre%e &o$rt o certi7cations showing8 9a: co%pletion o all co$rses lea)ing to the
)egree o Bachelor o Laws or its e$i(alent )egree; 9: recognition or accre)itation
o the law school y the proper a$thority; an) 9c: co%pletion o all o$rth year
s$ects in the Bachelor o Laws aca)e%ic progra% in a law school )$ly recogni!e)
y the Philippine
Philippine 5o(ern%ent<

#'& +Pre=Law > An applicant or a)%ission to the ar ea%ination shall present a
certi7cate iss$e) y the proper go(ern%ent
go(ern%ent agency that, eore co%%encing the
st$)y o law, he or she ha) p$rs$e) an) satisactorily co%plete) in an a$thori!e)
an) recogni!e) $ni(ersity or college, re$iring or a)%ission thereto the co%pletion
o a o$r=year high school co$rse, the co$rse o st$)y prescrie) therein or a
achelor?s )egree in arts or sciences

A Filipino citi!en who co%plete) an) otaine) his or her )egree in Bachelor o Laws
or its e$i(alent in a oreign law school %$st also present proo o co%pletion o a
separate achelor@s )egree

 "he #$pre%e
#$pre%e &o$rt has )irecte) the the &ler/ o &o$rt,
&o$rt, thro$gh
thro$gh the O4ce o the
the Bar
&on7)ant, to circ$lari!e its resol$tion appro(ing the sai) a%en)%ents a%ong all
law schools in the co$ntry 9Bar Matter No 11*3, -e8 Letter o Atty 'stelito P
Men)o!a Proposing -eor%s in the Bar 'a%inations thro$gh A%en)%ents to -$le
13. o the -$les o &o$rt, March , 2010:

RULE 138

Attorneys and Admission to Bar

#ection 1 ho %ay practice law > Any person heretoore )$ly a)%itte) as a
%e%er o the ar, or hereater a)%itte) as s$ch in accor)ance with the pro(isions
o this r$le, an) who is in goo) an) reg$lar stan)ing, is entitle) to practice law

#ection 2 -e$ire%ents or all applicants or a)%ission to the ar > '(ery
applicant or a)%ission as a %e%er o the ar %$st e a citi!en o the Philippines,
at least twenty=one years o age, o goo) %oral character, an) resi)ent o the
Philippines; an) %$st pro)$ce eore the #$pre%e &o$rt satisactory e(i)ence o
goo) %oral character, an) that no charges against hi%, in(ol(ing %oral t$rpit$)e,
ha(e een 7le) or are pen)ing in any co$rt in the Philippines

#ection 3 -e$ire%ents or lawyers who are citi!ens o the Cnite) #tates o
A%erica > &iti!ens o the Cnite) #tates o A%erica who, eore $ly E, 1E+, were
)$ly license) %e%ers o the Philippine Bar, in acti(e practice in the co$rts o the
Philippines an) in goo) an) reg$lar stan)ing as s$ch %ay, $pon satisactory proo o 
those acts eore the #$pre%e &o$rt, e allowe) to contin$e s$ch practice ater
ta/ing the ollowing oath o o4ce8

                           , ha(ing een per%itte) to contin$e in the

practice o law in the Philippines, )o sole%nly swear that  recogni!e the s$pre%e
a$thority o the -ep$lic o the Philippines;  will s$pport its &onstit$tion an) oey
the laws as well as the legal or)ers o the )$ly constit$te) a$thorities therein;  will
)o no alsehoo), nor consent to the )oing o any in co$rt;  will not wittingly or
willingly pro%ote or s$e any gro$n)less, alse or $nlaw$l s$it, nor gi(e ai) nor
consent to the sa%e;  will )elay no %an or %oney or %alice, an) will con)$ct
%ysel as a lawyer accor)ing to the est o %ay /nowle)ge an) )iscretion with all
goo) 7)elity as well as to the co$rts as to %y clients; an)  i%pose $pon %ysel this
(ol$ntary oligation witho$t any %ental reser(ation or p$rpose o e(asion #o help
%e 5o)

#ection E -e$ire%ents or applicants ro% other $ris)ictions > Applicants or
a)%ission who, eing Filipino citi!ens, are enrolle) attorneys in goo) stan)ing in the
#$pre%e &o$rt o the Cnite) #tates or in any circ$it co$rt o appeals or )istrict co$rt
therein, or in the highest co$rt o any #tate or "erritory o the Cnite) #tates, an)
who can show y satisactory certi7cates that they ha(e practice) at least 7(e
years in any o sai) co$rts, that s$ch practice egan eore $ly E, 1E+, an) that
they ha(e ne(er een s$spen)e) or )isarre), %ay, in the )iscretion o the &o$rt,
e a)%itte) witho$t ea%ination

#ection * A))itional re$ire%ents or other applicants > All applicants or
a)%ission other than those reerre) to in the two prece)ing section shall, eore
eing a)%itte) to the ea%ination, satisactorily show that they ha(e reg$larly
st$)ie) law or o$r years, an) s$ccess$lly co%plete) all prescrie) co$rses, in a
law school or $ni(ersity, o4cially appro(e) an) recogni!e) y the #ecretary o
')$cation "he a4)a(it o the can)i)ate, acco%panie) y a certi7cate ro% the
$ni(ersity or school o law, shall e 7le) as e(i)ence o s$ch acts, an) $rther
e(i)ence %ay e re$ire) y the co$rt

No applicant shall e a)%itte) to the ar ea%inations $nless he has satisactorily

co%plete) the ollowing co$rses in a law school or $ni(ersity )$ly recogni!e) y the
go(ern%ent8 ci(il law, co%%ercial law, re%e)ial law, cri%inal law, p$lic an)
pri(ate international law, political law, laor an) social legislation, %e)ical
 $rispr$)ence, taation an) legal ethics

#ection + Pre=Law > No applicant or a)%ission to the ar ea%ination shall e
a)%itte) $nless he presents a certi7cate that he has satis7e) the #ecretary o
')$cation that, eore he egan the st$)y o law, he ha) p$rs$e) an) satisactorily
co%plete) in an a$thori!e) an) recogni!e) $ni(ersity or college, re$iring or
a)%ission thereto the co%pletion o a o$r=year high school co$rse, the co$rse o
st$)y prescrie) therein or a achelor?s )egree in arts or sciences with any o the
ollowing s$ects as %aor or 7el) o concentration8 political science, logic, english,
spanish, history an) econo%ics