ARANETA, NINA KHRISTINNE D.

RM 410 LEGAL ETHICS THE PRACTICEA REACTION PAPER The short talks by Attorneys Democrito Barcenas, Neil Rapatan and Corazon Valencia were refreshing reminders that passion and the appreciation of justice and the law should be the motivating factors of why one should consider lawyering as a profession. All three claim that the rewards of the practice transcend monetary benefits. Knowing one has had a hand in serving justice and knowing that one has helped take up the cause of the oppressed and the wrongly-accused is more than enough for them. In all honesty, I hope that the message will stick to would-be-lawyers like myself and would serve as a guide and inspiration for everyone as to the proper conduct and ethics that should be observed in the practice of such a noble profession. We have been endowed with the capacity to appreciate and understand the law and much is expected from us. Hopefully we will strive to live by the lofty ideals espoused by the speakers and those written in our books. I appreciated the talk by Atty. Democrito Barcenas. I respect him for indeed taking the road less travelled and concentrating on human rights advocacy. He said no amount of money can compensate the feeling of satisfaction of taking up the cause of the oppressed and that its not how much you have earned but how much you have served. His story about how he served as defense counsel for a group of students accused of murder was inspiring to me. He was a neophyte then, and was up against people who were considered legal luminaries during that time. He told the participants of the forum never to be intimidated by veteran practitioners as long as you are prepared to which I fully agree, as I subscribe to the idea that while age and tenure may indeed give one advantage as to experience, it does not mean that one who is younger cannot anymore make contributions worthy of recognition. In the practice, winning a case should be about merits, not about connections, not about age. Atty. Neil Rapatans talk gave us a glimpse of public service lawyering, particularly his work at the Office of the Solicitor General. I was particularly touched when he said that it despite the voluminous work that they handle, they are not just handling casesthey are talking about peoples lives. A case as simple as changing the letter of ones name for example, is treated as important by their office even if while on the face of it, it does not seem as serious and grave as other cases. For one never knows that having the letter of ones name changed may be ones passport to a better life. Atty. Rapatan also reminded the attendees about the importance of maintaining ones enthusiasm and vigor in the practice even if one loses in court. He said that even if one loses, one contributes to jurisprudence because after all, ours is a dynamic legal system. He ended with an anecdote about his first appearance in court as a lawyer, where after the proceedings he was commended by the judge (whom he told in advance that he just passed the bar) who told him well done and which in turn made him think and swoon OMG, I am really a lawyer! It was a painfully simple and funny story but it reached out to all the anxious would-be lawyers that someday, all the theories learned within the four walls of the classroom would have to be put into action and that while ones first court appearance may turn ones knees to jelly, he has nothing to fear when he comes to court prepared and ready. The most eloquent delivery came from Atty. Valencia, who talked about being a legal educator. She spoke about the intangible rewards in teaching the law, despite the frustrations that one has to go through in the course of dealing with incorrigible students. While she claims to be a teacher by accident, she says there is nothing else she would rather do than multiplying the meaning of her own life by touching the lives of her students. Atty. Valencias talk reflected her passion for the law, and it is a passion that I hope will also ignite new and would-be lawyers to uphold the integrity of the profession that has for so long been the butt of jokes by a society that sees it as generally a dirty trade.