SC to hold oral arguments on law entrance exam next month

The Supreme Court (SC) has set oral arguments on petitions questioning the legal basis of the nationwide entrance examination for aspiring law students.

The justices have set the proceedings for March 5 and 12, according to a recent notice of resolution.

Retired Makati Regional Trial Court judge Oscar Pimentel, who now teaches at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, had sought a stop to the implementation of the Legal Education Board (LEB) memorandum order that set the conduct of the Philippine Law School Admission Test (PhilSAT).

Pimentel's pleading was consolidated with a newer petition, the SC notice said.

Former Ateneo law dean Sedfrey Candelaria and former University of the Philippines law dean Merlin Magallona were also invited as amici curiae ("friends of the court"), or non-parties to the case who may advise the court on a pending matter.

In its 2016 memorandum, the LEB cited Section 7e of the Legal Education Reform Act of 1993 — which empowers the board to "prescribe minimum standards for law admission" — as basis for conducting the PhilSAT.

The first PhilSAT exam was held in April 2017 in Baguio City, Metro Manila, Legazpi City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Tacloban City, Davao City, Zamboanga City, and Cagayan de Oro City. —LDF, GMA News