Written by: Melody Jade E. Soriano
Last September 8, 11, and 14, 2024, the #MostValuableLaban, chaired by Bedan alumnus Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, officially paved the way for a total of 10,940 aspiring lawyers to claim their titles in the legal profession.
The 2024 Bar Exams has adopted the innovations which the Supreme Court has initiated during the 2020-2021 bar examinations, with thirteen (13) local testing centers hosting the examinations nationwide. In Metro Manila, these included the University of the Philippines-Diliman, University of Santo Tomas, San Beda University, Manila Adventist College, University of the Philippines-Bonifacio Global City, and San Beda College-Alabang. In Luzon, Saint Louis University and the University of Nueva Caceres were also selected as testing centers.
For the third consecutive year, Examsoft was used as the medium of testing for what is alleged to be one of the most difficult examinations in the Philippines. This year also saw a diverse group of bar examinees—there were 6,108 female bar takers, while there were 4,375 male bar takers. 155 senior citizens and 313 examinees with special needs also took the bar exams. The oldest bar taker is 78 years old, while the youngest is 23 years old.
The Bar Subjects were spread across three days: Political Law and Public International Law and Commercial and Taxation Laws on September 8; Civil Law and Labor Law and Social Legislation on the September 11; and Criminal Law, Remedial Law, and Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises on September 14. This year’s Bar Syllabus also emphasized practical skills, ethical responsibility, and specialization, to ensure that graduates are professionally competent.
“You are on the brink of turning your dreams into reality,” declared Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez. Indeed, the week of the 2024 Bar Exams marked a pivotal transition for those aspiring to become a part of the legal profession, aligning with Justice Lopez’s vision of producing ‘practice-ready lawyers.’
THE BARRISTER 