Gregorio Miguel Pallugna
THE 2016 Bar Examinations for aspiring lawyers has just concluded last Sunday. More than just the exams however, last Sunday was the end of the nine to 10-year, or even longer, ordeal of the more than 6,000 law graduates who took it.
Becoming a lawyer is far from easy. One has to complete a four-year college course before he can take up another four years of law school. After graduating from law school, there goes the six-month review before the month-long exam. It is a real trial of mental and physical mettle. It is considered to be the most difficult licensure exam in the country and probably even one of the most difficult in the world. This is the reason why every year, multitudes gather outside the University of Santo Tomas where the legendary examinations are held.
Fraternities, student groups, law firms and even some government offices gather to greet the examinees who have completed the four Sundays of grueling tests. For the seventh year in a row, I have been present on this celebrated fourth Sunday “Salubong” which marks the finish line for those who wish to be part of the bar of attorneys. It is more than a milestone, it is already considered a tradition. Somewhat a coming-of-age ritual that is earned only by braving the difficult path of becoming a lawyer which entails the risk of losing one’s social life, friends, loved ones or even one’s mind. Of course, finishing the bar exams is not the end-all and be-all of this endeavor. One has to pass the exams before he can take the lawyer’s oath and practice the profession. Nevertheless, completing the exams is already a success in itself.
This year, the Salubong of the bar examinees has somehow been overshadowed by the recent issues concerning our country including drug politics, extrajudicial killings and the burial of Marcos, among others. One might say that finishing the bar exams this year is bad timing amid some rumors of a potential authoritarian government. It even reminds us of the line in one of Shakespeare’s plays where the character, in aspiring to become King, proclaimed: “‘’The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”
On the contrary, it is the perfect time to complete the exams because one of the very reasons of becoming a lawyer is for us to use our profession to ensure that law and justice prevail in our society. The great American legal scholar, Roscoe Pound, succinctly explained the essence of the legal profession, in saying that “Historically, there are three ideas involved in a profession: organisation, learning, and a spirit of public service. These are essential. The remaining idea, that of gaining a livelihood, is incidental.” Our role in society has in fact become more profound now more than ever, and there is a great and urgent need of more noble and competent lawyers.
So, to all those who successfully completed the Bar Exams, including my friends Joey, Armen, Monching and Sam, congratulations on this hard-earned achievement! The battle is already half-won. Now, the waiting game begins!
