Reaction Paper on Chapter 13 – Articles on the Legal Profession

Legal Profession Book of Villareal

Eloisa BC Salitrero JD 1-3 Legal Profession Sat 2:30-3:30PM

Focus on the Legal Profession

By: Justice Mendoza

It is good to point out that the ‘focus’ that Justice Mendoza mentioned in this
speech was not pertaining to objectives or goals of the legal profession but
instead he is talking about the standards of the profession in which those
exercising it must be measured.

He mentioned three standards namely: independence, accessibility and learning.

For independence, it is on the independence in terms of a lawyer-client
relationship and not a lawyer’s independence from support, organization, or
practice. He must know the dynamics of exercising devotion and commitment to
work professionally for his client’s case while not overreaching his passion to be
too immersed to the case outside the bounds of law. Accessibility on one hand
refers to the availability of the lawyers not only for those indigent or poor people
who need a lawyer’s service but also to the affluent people who may equally be in
need of representation and legal assistance. Lastly, the learning side of the
standard referring to the quality of the profession to accomplish the Code of
Professional Responsibility wherein lawyers must serve their clients with
competence and diligence.

While his speech started off with how the impeachment of Estrada went which
affected the impression of the public about the mainstream lawyers projected on
media, he ended up by saying to preserve the strength and resolve the failures.

Great Leaders were Lawyers

By: Atty. Leo Asa

This is a good read to underscore the lawyers who became great leaders and their
contribution to the society had become remarkable. Such inspiring biographies of
how lawyers such as them acknowledged the sacrifices and hard work in the field
of law however their deep moral and societal responsibility compel them to
sensational contribution to history.

Mahatma Gandhi died may be not as a President like most others broached in
this article however he served his fellowmen with great compassion and
unreserved dedication for them. Abraham Lincoln is inspiring in a sense how he
knew how to bring courage to people who need it, and to make use of his position
to influence and to bring change. In his own words he admonish the students of
law to read and continue reading and to treat books as things and not to be
beaten by them because of our will or even discouragements to learn. Jose P.

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Laurel and Manuel Quezon on both line of duty as Presidents of the Republic of
the Philippines contributed in one of the most difficult period of Philippine
History. Although they have not started out as dreaming to possess the most
demanding position in the country, their knowledge of the law and their initial
practice of the law had brought them for the call. The leaders mentioned became
catalyst of change in their own arena, they used their legal education, and their
passion to serve people to make and be that change. Such an inspiration!

Your Lawyers Move On.. Share in the Unfolding of the Divine Plan
By: Hon. Josue N. Bellosillo

Wow! Hon. Bellosillo displayed so much wisdom in giving impactful touchstone

for the bar passers and of course, the readers in general. He simply pointed out
truth and set out guidelines to young lawyers for the practice. Truth, which may
be too gruesome for others to speak about like how to distant from money, fame
and glory as motivating factors of the profession and even how not to just merely
pass the Bar as the end of the goal as since if you do, your identity also ceases to
exist once you pass. And most importantly, he underscored the blessings jointly
provided in our youth, the ‘fire in your belly’ to transform the knowledge learned
into a living active law and to reinvent the whimsical goal of the profession into
being a potent defender of truth and authentic purveyor of justice. As shown in
the title itself, this

E-Values for Lawyers

By: Justice Artemio Panganiban

At one glance before reading this article, presumably the E referred to in the E-
Values was thought to be about electronic values seemingly portraying how
values necessary for the digital change will be tackled in the article. Eventually,
while reading it somehow denied and in a way confirmed my conjecture.

Denied in obvious sense how he shared his values starting in letter E’s namely,
excellence, ethics and eternity. These were fundamental principles he lived by
and has become cornerstone in his successful professional and personal life.
Three whereby equally important and may be self-explanatory except for one,
which is Eternity. He admonished how we should place God at the center of our
lives and through that, we can truly achieve a complete understanding of what is
true and just. “Everything we say, everything we do, and everything we are, He
must always be there”. Acknowledging God’s presence every time to consistently
remind us of His presence to lead us, guide us, behind us to protect us and within
us.

It also had somehow confirmed my initial speculation of how this read will turn
out to was how he brought the topic from the point of view of a person standing
on a challenging time of modern times where perception of lawyers has been a
cause of concern whereby as displayed in the book he referred to that many
people graduated from law schools no longer ask in moral terms ‘is it right?’ but

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instead ask or think in legal terms, ‘is it legal? This alarming state however is
brilliantly countered through his E-Values points as a signpost whenever we tried
to swerve through how changes in the society affect us professionally, and
personally.

Lawyering @ Centrury 21: Globalization, ICT and the Legal Profession

By Atty. Jose’ Victor Chan-Gonzaga

This article showed how 21st Century affected the evolution of the legal
profession. Cayetano vs Monsod case was recalled to liberally define the practice
of law as “any activity, in or out of court which requires the application of law,
legal knowledge, training and experience”. Not only in the definition of the
practice but even the foregoing trend of lawyering have been impacted where
globalized law firms were established. These of course have several complications
especially as mentioned in the definite clarity with respect to the transactional
situs of a case lawyer whereby international application of such local case lawyers
are challenged. In fact, Philippine Consitutition in the admission to the
Philippine bars also had faced complication whether a foreign lawyer not physical
present in the Philippines yet giving legal advise only on international legal issues
may serve as argument inconsistent in requirements prior to the admission to the
bar before being able to practice. The Judiciary likewise has no escape in the
impact, the inevitable interplay between technology and legal issues becomes one
of the challenges as it would result to differences and conflicts that the
determination of the legal issue’s will hinges in understanding technology. In
conclusion, globalization and the information technology will radically change
traditional notions of evidences, contracts, taxation and even constitutional law.
Lawyers must be necessarily be equipped and to continue being relevant by not
be content with traditional or anachronistic legal codes.

Legal Profession in the 21st Century: Survival or Extinction?

By: Senior Associate Justice Josue N. Bellosilo

The challenge in the 21st Century whether survival or extinction should sound
alarming. A panorama example citing hitch how emergent tolerated practice of
law by non-lawyer professionals who principally engage or compete with lawyers
in proceedings diluted the practice of law and conjoin it thereto. The lawyers and
legal processes are becoming more and more irrelevant, and detached because no
one could afford them. The inaccessibility of justice resulted to a less demand for
lawyers therefore challenged the existence or need of the profession. This
financial affordability hurdle serves as fertile seedbed for resolving disputes
outside the legal process. It was a strong remark but Senior Associate Bellosilo to
not be riding in dead horses but be likewise professionals mounting spirited at
full speed and not to be left behind with the comforts of traditions but be advance
as how other professions go. Blaze a new trail for the legal profession to not be
obsolete.

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Ready for the Bio-Age
By: Hon. Panganiban

This article is in response to the ongoing phenomenon brought about by new

paradigms that the judiciaries around the world faced: The Bio-Age. The most
daunting however was the mega-shifts in the ways of discovering and processing
truth as mirrored through the development of science which affect not just
material concerns but also the concepts of health, longevity and very cause of life
itself. It questioned the readiness of the judiciary to face new interesting
phenomena.

In response, the readiness of the Philippine Judiciary was explained on the basis
of the powers and responsibilities granted to the Supreme Court and our
judiciary in meeting the challenges of biosciences and biotechnology. First, by the
certiorari or ordinary review powers of the court to pass upon actions in this
relation, can on constitutional grounds void laws and executive orders like those
dealing with abortion, cloning, genetic, testing and other consequences of
biotechnology. Second, the rule-making power of the Supreme Court can
promulgate rules on DNA fingerprinting, the use of genes as evidence and
admission of biotechnology and genetics as evidence. Third, administration of the
bar examination as it influences the curricula of law schools. Fourth, the power to
discipline lower court magistrates to assure uniformity in the application of
genetic and bio-scientific principles to ethics. Fifth, it is the judicial independence
where it can enter into bilateral and international agreements with judicial
authorities outside the country.

The judiciary should embrace new ways to adapt the technology improvements
that is beneficial to the efficiency and the effectiveness of the exercising its vested
powers.

Legal Egos on the Loose

By: Atty. Mike Papantonio

With the recent study conducted to 500 lawyers throughout America, it was a
significant majority of these lawyers who were earning huge amount of incomes
were still yet not feeling financially secured. This goes to show the appetite for
these lawyers to earn and make more and more wealth as later considered as an
addictive ambition. There is a positive spin however to this well driven visions as
that, they too are highly motivated and considered as Type A overachievers.
However, there were traits ignored for seeking more power and more acquisitions
like deferring enjoyment of possession, unfeeling content until they are
acknowledged with their achievements, raising a higher expectations mentally
once they excel, working without submission to authority, losing sight of the
intrinsic value of life that money could not pay such as friends and family
relationships, and competing for a bigger share of security consistently have take
on me vs. them attitude.

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Nevertheless, the wisdom of the weasel was a quality reproach to this
predicament. The rat who entered into a small hole with his self-intention and
greed to not share the benefits of the crate of corn, continually fatten himself to
the point that he could no longer exit the the hole he entered in. And the weasel’s
wisdom poised in a statement, “You have eaten much more corn than you really
needed, haven’t you?” It is good and well reminder to not take in more than you
need or the pleasure you seek to gain is the trap you never expect to bear.