UP law grad tops 2015 Bar exams

A law graduate from the University of the Philippines topped the 2015 Bar examinations.

The results of the 2015 Bar examinations were announced by Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, who chaired the exams, at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

Rachel Angeli Miranda got the highest mark with 87.4, followed by Athena Plaza of the University of San Carlos with 87.2.

The top 10 pic.twitter.com/nmbmPgYRQx

— Lia Del Castillo (@LiaManalac) May 3, 2016

Other UP graduates got the third, sixth, and ninth spots. The 10th spot went to a graduate of the Bulacan State University.

A total of 1,731 passed the exams, or a 26-percent passing rate. The passing grade of 75 percent was not lowered. [Click here for complete list of passers.]

Leonardo-De Castro had earlier said that the successful Bar examinees would take their oath on June 16.

There were 7,146 Bar candidates who took the exams at the University of Sto. Tomas in November last year, but only 6,600 managed to finish all four Sundays of the exams that started on November 8, 2015.

The exams covered Political Law, Labor Law, Civil Law, Taxation, Mercantile Law, Criminal Law, Remedial Law, and Legal and Judicial Ethics.

For each of the four Sundays, four hours in the morning was devoted to one of these subjects, and four hours in the afternoon to another.

Last year, the Bar exam results were released in March.

Last year, Irene Mae Alcoba of San Beda topped the Bar exams with a score of 85.5to lead the 1,126 passers.

That year, the passing rate was 18.82 percent. Of the 6,370 law students who applied for last year's Bar exams, only 6,344 made it to the final cut.

Bar exam reforms

SC Public Information Office chief and spokesman Theodore Te, the examiner for Labor Law and Social Legislation for the 2015 bar examinations, said in a statement on Tuesday that the Supreme Court was considering proposals to reform the Bar examinations, including reducing the number of examinable subjects and possible regionalization.

These proposals came from the deans of different law schools, who are regularly consulted by the Chair of the Bar Examinations Committee over the years, he said.

"There is, as yet, no final decision by the Court on this matter. However, the Chair of the 2016 Bar Examinations, Justice Velasco, has already met with the law school deans and any changes will be announced in due course," said Te.

Among the changes being discussed was the procedure for application as well as record keeping and data processing.

"Consistent with the thrust of the Court to ensure greater efficiency and also to minimize delays, proposals to automate the process of application to take the bar examinations as well as digitize the lawyers’ list are being considered, within the framework of the Judiciary’s Enterprise Information Systems Plan (EISP)," Te said. —KBK, GMA News