SC announces new Bar exams rules
The Supreme Court has announced changes to be introduced in the 2011 Bar examinations. Those who made the proposals were Associate Justice Roberto Abad, chair of the 2011 Bar exams, and the Philippine Association of Law Schools. The SC recently announced that this year's exams will be moved from September to November. The venue was likewise transferred from the De La Salle University campus to the University of Santo Tomas campus. (See: Bar exams moved to November, to be held at UST ) In Bar Matter No. 2265, the high court also clarified how the Bar exams syllabus would be âre-definedâ as announced last November, as well as how to implement Abadâs earlier proposals on fielding multiple-choice questions instead of just essay questions. On March 7, 2006, the SC issued an earlier resolution (Bar Matter No. 1161) detailing the phase-by-phase adoption of Bar exams reforms which led to the introduction of multiple choice exams for the first time in the 2009 Bar exams. GMANews.TV is publishing the new rules outlined by the SC's en banc (full court) resolution, B.M. No. 2265, dated January 18, 2011. The SC said that the following rules "shall govern the future conduct of the Bar examinations:" 1. The coverage of the bar examinations shall be drawn up by topics and sub-topics rather than by just stating the covered laws. The test for including a topic of sub-topic in the coverage of the examinations is whether it covers laws, doctrines, principles and rulings that a new lawyer needs to know to begin a reasonably prudent and competent law practice. The coverage shall be approved by the Chair of the bar examination in consultation with the academe, subject to annual review and reapproval by subsequent chairpersons. 2. The bar examinations shall measure the candidates knowledge of the law and its applications through multiple-choice-questions (MCQs) that are to be so constructed as to specifically:
- 2.1. Measure the candidate's knowledge of and ability to recall the laws, doctrines, and principles that every new lawyer needs in his practice; 2.2. Assess the candidate's understanding of the meaningand significance of those same laws, doctrines, and principles as they apply to specific situations, and 2.3. Measure his ability to analyze legal problems, apply the correct law or principle to such problems, and provide solutions to them.
- Political law: 15 percent Labor Law: 10 percent Civil Law: 15 percent Taxation:10 percent Mercantile Law: 15 percent Criminal Law: 10 percent Remedial Law: 20 percent Legal Ethics/Forms: 5 percent
- 5.1. One such essay examination shall require the candidate to prepare a trial memorandum or a decision based on a documented legal dispute (60 percent of essays). 5.2. Another essay shall require him to prepare a written opinion sought by a client concerning a potential legal dispute facing him (40 percent of essays).
- 11.1. Holding in the interest of convenience and economy bar examinations simultaneously in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao; and 11.2. Allowing those who pass the MCQ examinations but fail the essay-type examinations to take removal examinations in the immediately following year.