Law school is clearly not a place for the faint of heart.

It’s a place for people who love the law and

would try their best to understand the language despite and in spite of.

SPECIALIZATIONS

There are eight major subjects included in the LL.B. curriculum: Civil, Political, Labor, Criminal,
Commercial, International, Tax and Remedial laws.

 Constitutional Law – the body of law that regulates the federal, state, and local governments;
most often associated with fundamental rights like equal protection, the right to bear arms,
freedom of religion, and the right to free speech.
 Criminal Law – body of rules that defines conduct prohibited by the government because it
threatens and harms public safety and welfare; examples are kidnapping, rape, robbery,
murder, rebellion.
 Business Law – governs transactions between business entities, contracts, sales, business
organizations, property, and bailments.
 Labor Law – an area of the law that deals with the rights of employers, employees, and labor
organizations.
 Civil Law – covers disputes between individuals, companies and sometimes local or central
government.
 Tax Law – covers the rules, policies and laws that oversee the tax process, which involves
charges on estates, transactions, property, income, licenses and more by the government.
 Family Law – an area of the law that deals with family–related matters and domestic relations;
examples include annulment, adoption, child custody.

SUGGESTED LAW BOOKS

Civil Code, Codals, Constitution, Law Books, Penal Code, Persons and Family Relations, Rabuya

Essential codals:

 Subject: Persons and Family Relations

Title: Civil Code of the Philippines (2016)
 Subject: Criminal Law
Title: Revised Penal Code (Pocket Size)
 Subject: Constitution
Title: The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines
 Subject: Law Dictionary
Title: Law Dictionary (2013)

Textbooks:
 Subject: Persons and Family Relations
Title: Civil Code Vol I (2016)
 Subject: Persons and Family Relations
Title: Persons and Family Relations (2015) by Melecio S. Sta. Maria
 Subject: Persons and Family Relations
Title: Persons and Family Relations (2006) by Elmer T. Rabuya
 Subject: Persons and Family Relations
Title: Compendium on the Law on Persons and Family Relations (Paper Bound) by Alex L.
Monteclar
 Subject: Persons and Family Relations
Title: FAMILY LAW VOLUME I: MARRIAGE (CLOTHBOUND) by Katrina Legarda
 Subject: Persons and Family Relations
Title: FAMILY LAW VOLUME II: CONJUGAL PROPERTY GAINS (CLOTHBOUND) by Katrina Legarda
 Subject: Persons and Family Relations
Title: FAMILY LAW VOLUME III: CHILDREN (CLOTHBOUND) by Katrina Legarda
 Subject: Criminal Law I
Title: The Revised Penal Code Book I & II by Justice Luis Reyes
 Subject: Criminal Law I
Title: Notes and Cases on the Revised Penal Code Book I & II [Clothbound] by Leonor D. Boado
 Subject: Constitutional Law I
Title: The 1987 Constitution of the R.P. A Commentary by Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.
 Subject: Legal Research
Title: Legal Research and Legal Citations of the Philippines (Paper Bound) by Milagros Santos-
Ong
 Subject: Statutory Construction
Title: Statutory Construction by Atty. Ruben E. Agpalo
 Subject: Statutory Construction
Title: Statutory Construction [Clothbound] by Rolando A. Suarez
 Subject: Statutory Construction
Title: Construction and Interpretation of the Laws [Paperbound] by Atty. Cyrus Victor T. Sualog
 Subject: Legal Ethics
Title: Book on Legal and Judicial Ethics [Clothbound] by Rodrigo V. Cosico
 Subject: Legal Ethics
Title: Comments on the Rules of Procedure of the Commission on Bar Disipline (Paper Bound) by
Eldrid C. Antiquiera
 Subject: Legal Ethics
Title: BASIC LEGAL ETHICS (PAPER BOUND) by Atty. Maria Theresa Dizon
 Subject: Legal Ethics
Title: Updates in Legal Ethics [Paperbound] by Atty. Theresa S. Dizon
 Subject: Legal Ethics
Title: Legal and Judicial Ethics [Clothbound] by Atty. Ruben E. Agpalo
  Subject: Legal Ethics
Title: Comments on Legal and Judicial Ethics [Paperbound] by Atty. Eldrid C. Antiquiera
 Subject: Legal Writing
Title: Legal Writing: A Competency-Based Approach by Gil Marvel P. Tabucanon and David A.
Mockon
 Subject: Legal Writing
Title: Fundamentals of Legal Writing [Paperbound] by Justice Roberto A. Abad and Atty. Blessilda
Abad-Gamo
 Subject: Legal Writing
Title: Basic Legal Writing by Mauricio C. Ulep

Guide Book:

 Title: The Study of Law: How to Conquer Law School (2017) by Atty Jim Lopez

STUDY TIPS

 DO THE READING. Do all of the reading assigned for your courses. Do not fall behind; you may
never catch up. Do your reading at times of the day when you are most alert. Also, do your
reading in a location where you will not be distracted or tempted to do something else.
Otherwise, you will find that it takes you far longer than necessary to prepare for class.
 BRIEF THE CASES. Take notes while reading. For each assigned case, write down the legally
significant facts, the holding of the case, and the rationale for the court's decision. This is what is
referred to as "briefing" cases. Your case briefs should be just that-brief.
 REVIEW BEFORE EACH CLASS. Review your reading notes (case briefs) right before class. That
way, the cases will be fresh in your mind, and you will substantially increase your ability to
follow the class discussion (not to mention avoid the embarrassment associated with being
unprepared when called upon by the professor).
 GO TO CLASS. Most professors cover some material in class that is not discussed in the reading,
so failure to attend class will put you at a big disadvantage when you take the final exam. Also,
you will receive an "FW" if you miss more than 20% of the sessions of a course. This is factored
into your grade point average as an "F" and is never removed from your academic record, even
if you retake the course.
 PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS. Some misguided students use class time to shop on the Internet, play
computer games or catch up on their e-mail. You are paying a substantial amount of money for
tuition. Do you really want to spend your tuition money "surfing the net" or playing computer
solitaire instead of paying attention to the class discussion?
 PARTICIPATE IN CLASS. Students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning
process.
 TAKE CLASS NOTES. Do not, however, get so caught up in trying to take down everything your
professor says that you are not actively engaged in the class discussion. Review your class notes
 before starting your next reading assignment and analyze how the new cases you read affect
those cases you already have reviewed in class.
 PREPARE AN OUTLINE FOR EACH OF YOUR CLASSES. Outlines prepared by more senior students
or commercial outlines are not acceptable substitutes for making your own outlines. The
analysis necessary to prepare a course outline helps you determine the rules of law applicable to
the subject matter of the course, as well as determine how the rules relate to one another. If
you do not go through this process, you are less likely to master the subject matter. Also, not all
professors teach a subject the same way. In fact, many professors do not even teach a course
the same way from one year to the next. The only way to get an outline tailored to your course
is to make it yourself. Do NOT wait until the reading period to prepare your outlines; you'll never
get them done in time. Some students like to outline once per week, others once per month.
Still others prefer to outline whenever a topic is completed. Pick whatever schedule works best
for you and stick to it.
 CONSIDER FORMING A STUDY GROUP. Study groups can be a valuable learning tool. Talking
through material with classmates can increase your understanding and retention of course
material. You also can obtain helpful study tips from your peers. If you decide to form a study
group, seek out other students who are well-prepared for class and have similar academic goals.
Do not let your study group meetings become social or gossip sessions. Also, do not use study
groups as a way of sharing the workload. Lastly, if you find that you are not benefiting from your
study group, resign from the group.
 REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. Just because you don't have an exam until the end of the semester
does not mean that you should wait until the reading period to begin your review. This is not
undergraduate school. You cannot cram right before finals and get good grades. Therefore,
make time for frequent review over the course of the semester.
 ATTEND REVIEW SESSIONS CONDUCTED BY YOUR PROFESSORS AND/OR THEIR ACADEMIC
FELLOWS. Some professors and/or Academic Fellows hold review sessions prior to exams. This is
a great way to clarify the issues about which you are confused without having to stand in line
outside your professor's office. Moreover, helpful tips regarding how to write your exam
answers in a way that will earn you the most points are often shared during review sessions.
 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PROFESSORS. If your professor distributes a
practice question and says that she will review your answer if you submit it by a certain time, DO
IT! This is a great opportunity to get your professor's input and make any necessary adjustments
before your performance is graded.
 ATTEND THE WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED BY THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT CENTER. These
workshops cover a number of topics such as outlining, time and stress management, and how to
prepare for and write law school exams-skills essential to success in law school.
 TAKE PRACTICE EXAMS. Lots of them. Exams previously administered by your professor are
preferable. This will help you determine how your professor drafts his or her exams. The Fowler
School of Law Library maintains a number of prior exams prepared by law professors. Whenever
possible, select a prior exam for which there is a sample answer on file. This will allow you to
check your answer against the sample and evaluate your performance. If there is no sample
 answer on file, ask you professor if he/she will review and comment on your answer. Do not,
however, wait until right before finals to ask your professor to review your answer. The earlier
you ask, the more likely your professor will have time to review your answer.
 CREATE A STUDY PLAN. Many students complain that they do not have enough time to brief
cases, prepare outlines and/or take practice exams. They're wrong! By planning your time in
advance, you will have enough time to meet all of the demands of law school and have time to
enjoy some outside activities. If you need help managing your time, see Professor Faulkner.
 DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO PREPARE YOUR LRW PAPERS. Again, this is not
undergraduate school. You cannot throw a paper together the night before it is due and expect
to receive a good grade (or for that matter, a passing grade). Good legal writing takes time and
lots of editing so start working on your LRW assignments as soon as possible.
 REVIEW YOUR EXAMS. Meet with your professors to review your exams after grades have been
posted. This is the best way to determine what you did well and what you need to improve.
 MINIMIZE YOUR STRESS. Law school can be stressful, but there are a number of steps you can
take to keep stress to a minimum. Humor is a great stress reliever. Make time for exercise-
carrying 100 pounds of law books every day doesn't count. Eat fruit, vegetables, and whole grain
foods on a regular basis-a diet Coke and a package of Ding-Dongs are not a balanced breakfast.
Don't overdo your caffeine intake; drink lots of water instead. Get at least seven hours of sleep
per night. Maintain a life outside of law school. You don't need to give up all of the things you
enjoyed doing before you went to law school; you just won't be able to do them as often.
Finally, if you think that your stress level is getting out of control, talk about it with your
significant other, a family member, a close friend, a faculty member, one of the law school
Deans, or Professor Faulkner.
 DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE COMPETITION ASPECT OF LAW SCHOOL. Face it. Only one
student can finish at the top of the class. So instead of setting Numero Uno as your goal, focus
on doing your very best. Also, be supportive of and respectful to your classmates. It will make
for a more positive law school experience for you and your peers.
 GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. It is not uncommon for students to be confused about the substantive
law covered in their classes, how to prepare for class, how to study for exams, how to manage
their time or how to take law school exams. Indeed, it is the rare student who does not have
questions about these subjects from time to time, particularly during the first year of law school.
If you have questions, there are a number of resources available to you. Every professor holds
weekly office hours. The Academic Fellows for your courses also are available to help you, as is
Professor Faulkner. Please visit us if you have any questions. We're here to help.
 In reading you can follow the 3Cs, Codal, Comment and Cases. Read first the codal provisions
then your annotated books then jurisprudence.
 Let's get one thing straight. Whatever your college course is, NOTHING can prepare you for law
school. You will have to unlearn old study habits and learn new ones fast. And at some point,
you’ll fail, doubt yourself, and will be shamed by your professors. You have to understand that
this is okay. It happens to everyone.
  The best advice for incoming freshmen is to be flexible and try to adapt as quickly as you can. No
two law professors teach the same way, but all of them act as if they're your only subject for the
semester. Dedicate almost all your free time studying, especially if you're just an average college
student. If you're a loner, force yourself to socialize. Your classmates will be your greatest allies
in law school especially in digest pools.

Justice in this country can be bought, if you know the right price. Everything has a price. Including life.

In this country, the law in blind and justice is silent when you’re without money. Money talks; power
silences. That’s the rule you need to know before digging your grave.

We all pretend that we care, but as soon as another event tickles our attention, we quickly lose interest.
Unlike all else, justice remains a fantasy.

Dura lex sed lex. The law may be harsh, but it is still the law.

Those who turn a blind eye against oppression are just as guilty as the oppressors. Apathy is worse than
guilty conscience.

The police force here is incompetent, in general. That’s the truth.

I’m immensely dismayed at how the justice works. Or was justice really just a social construct?
Something that was made for us to feel safer, even if it was just a false sense of security?

The very law that was supposed to protect the victims is being twisted and used to protect the people
who assault them.

I don’t want to confront the harsh reality that I couldn’t do anything. That my hands are tied, just
because there’s no evidence to back up the truth. Truth. Funny how it’s now subject to validation.