Scholarships, dissertation contest for law students

Good news for law schools and law students. The Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity (FLP), in cooperation with the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS), is sponsoring full scholarships and a dissertation writing contest.

Scholarship program

Co-sponsored by the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, the scholarship program will start with 10 awardees for the coming school year and will add 10 more each year, for a total of 40 in four years. The scholarships cover tuition fees, book allowance and monthly stipend, as well as bar review expenses.

For the coming school year, FLP will choose one scholar each from the following qualified law schools:

·University of the Philippines
·Angeles University Foundation
·De La Salle University – Manila
·San Beda College – Manila
·Ateneo de Manila University
·University of San Carlos
·De La Salle Lipa
·Far Eastern University
·Centro Escolar University
·Ateneo de Davao University
·University of Santo Tomas
·University of Cebu
·Xavier University
·Masbate Colleges
·Palawan State University
·Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
·San Beda College – Alabang
·Polytechnic University of the Philippines
·University of Perpetual Help System – Laguna
·Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation
·San Sebastian College – Recoletos
·University of the East
·Arellano University
·Batangas State University
·Lyceum University
·University of St. La Salle
·Jose Rizal University
·Saint Louis University
·University of San Agustin

The scholarship program’s primary goal is to look for the best and the brightest students who believe in the vision, mission, values and legal philosophy of the FLP.

Dissertation contest

The dissertation writing contest is co-sponsored by the Ayala Group. It aims to augment the content and reach of FLP’s other projects.

The idea is to input the fresh insights and unique perspectives of law students and to provide novel and innovative avenues for the realization of FLP’s values. The dissertations should engender a deeper understanding of FLP’s core philosophy and contribute to its evolution, development and enrichment.

The contest is open to all junior and senior law students nationwide. FLP will choose the thesis/dissertation (or its equivalent in law schools not offering the juris doctor program) that best explains and espouses its vision, mission, values and philosophy.

From all the entries, a panel of five judges will choose a maximum of 20 entries, each of which will receive P20,000. The panel shall thereafter prune the list to 10, from which five winners will be chosen by the final board of judges: the first place will receive P300,000; the second place, P200,000; and three honorable mentions, P100,000 each.

Professorial chairs

FLP was founded in 2011 to promote the legal philosophy of “liberty and prosperity under the rule of law.” Its ongoing flagship program, the Chief Justice Panganiban Professorial Chairs on Liberty and Prosperity, is co-sponsored by the Metrobank Foundation.

Through this program, FLP encourages educational institutions and law schools to undertake research on and to propagate its philosophy at the academic level.

Holders of these professorial chairs are Chancellor Adolfo S. Azcuna of the Philippine Judicial Academy, Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria (Ateneo de Manila), Dean Danilo L. Concepcion (UP), Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno (De La Salle University), Dean Andres D. Bautista (FEU, now chairman of the Commission on Elections), Dean Mikhail Lee L. Maxino (Silliman University), Dean Joan Sarausos-Largo (USC), Dean Nilo T. Divina (UST), Dean Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez (University of the Cordilleras) and new Dean Melencio S. Sta. Maria (FEU).

Press release from The Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity