Category Archives: Bar Exams & Bar Matters

Implementation of Bar Matter 1922 extended to 1 January 2009

The Supreme Court earlier issued Bar Matter No. 1922, requiring all lawyers to indicate the number and date of issue of their MCLE Certificate of Compliance, and if they could not do so by 25, August 2008, it will result to the dismissal of the case and the expunction of the pleadings from the records. The SC has extended the compliance date to 1 January 2009. Here’s the full text of the amendment: Continue reading

Bar Matter No. 1922: MCLE Compliance

Quoted hereunder, for your information, is a resolution of the Supreme Court En Banc dated June 3, 2008:

“Bar Matter No. 1922. – Re: Recommendation of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Board to Indicate in All Pleadings Filed with the Courts the Counsel’s MCLE Certificate of Compliance or Certificate of Exemption. – The Court Resolved to NOTE the Letter, dated May 2, 2008, of Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura, Chairperson, Committee on Legal Education and Bar Matters, informing the Court of the diminishing interest of the members of the Bar in the MCLE requirement program. Continue reading

Results of the 2007 Philippine Bar Exams

There are rumors that the results of the 2007 bar exams will be released in February 2008 (while others say it’s March). In the days to come, there will be more “rumors” as to when the 2007 results will be released. These rumors only add to the examinee’s agony of waiting for the bar results. So, we will try to provide updates here and post the results upon release. Good luck and God bless to all 2007 bar examinees! (Should the site traffic become a problem, please also check the updates at Atty-at-Work). Update: LIST OF SUCCESSFUL EXAMINEES here.

A No-Nonsense Court Management

While managing a court effectively is no rocket science, neither it is to be taken lightly. If you are a judge or a court official, you have been appointed exactly to the position you desired. And here are your basic duties: Continue reading

Sample Bar Questions (Criminal Law)

This question was taken from a compilation of bar questions in Lex Libris. The answer is a product of my personal research, hence, only a legal information and in no way constitutes a legal advice to those in similar situations.

Bar Question on Criminal Law 2004:

Facts:
Aki and Ben, while walking together, met Caloy. There was an altercation between Ben and Caloy so that Ben chased and stabbed Caloy with a knife hitting his right arm thereby causing slight physical injury. Ben desisted from further assaulting Caloy, but Aki lunged at Caloy and felled him this time with a bolo which mortally wounded Caloy. Thus, he died.
a) What is the criminal liability of Aki? How about that of Ben? Explain your answers.

Aki is liable for the murder of Caloy. Continue reading

2006 Bar Exams: Results out

(Note: The bar exams forum is now online) I was hesitant to write anything yesterday, April Fools’ day, especially when what I had to say is something important (well, for those who took the exams, at least) – the bar results will be released tomorrow, 3 April 2007. I noticed that so many future lawyers (their friends and loved ones included) had swamped my Atty-at-Work site, causing it to become unavailable. So, in order for our friends to have another venue to express their colorful emotions (and ease the traffic at the other site), I’m temporarily disabling the registration requirement here so that anyone may release pent-up emotions and post their comments. Continue reading

Bar Exams – the Agony of waiting for the results

The examination for admission to the Philippine Bar (the Bar refers to the aggregation of all lawyers in the Philippines) is one of the most, if not THE most, difficult Philippine licensure exams. Some even say that it’s the most difficult bar exam in the world, primarily because it’s an essay-type exam (there’s already a proposal to adopt objective multiply-choice questions for 30%-40% of the total number of questions). Continue reading

Know Your Lawyer

I’m not talking about track record, competence, degree of confidence and the high level of trust that comes with the attorney-client relationship. Of course, these considerations are crucial because a client entrusts his properties, even his liberty and life, to the able hands of his lawyer.

What I’m referring to is something that I never imagined I would encounter. Only members of the Philippine Bar of good standing, or those who passed the bar exams (scheduled every September of each year) given by the Supreme Court and have taken the lawyer’s oath, may practice law (every lawyer is a compulsory member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines). Only recently, we discovered that the opposing “counsel” in a criminal case is apparently not a lawyer (well, that’s what the certification from the Office of Bar Confidant stated). Continue reading