By Alexandra Erika Ang
Legal Aid Center in 2019
The year 2020 marks the fifth year since San Beda College Alabang – School of Law’s (SBCA-SOL) Legal Aid Center (LAC) was accredited by the Supreme Court via SC Resolution dated July 7, 2015. Five years since stepping away from operating as an extension of San Beda Mendiola’s Legal Aid Bureau, LAC has continuously made efforts in upholding its two-fold mission of offering free legal services to indigent members of the community, and serving as a training ground for senior SBCA-SOL law students where they can apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom to actual cases.
At the start of the current school year, the organization welcomed 29 new members to its roster. The members were selected through a thorough recruitment process conducted by LAC officers during the previous semester. Not long after the general assembly held on August 2, 2019, LAC immediately jumped into their first project of the school year—Hustisya Hub.
During LAC’s inception in 2013, a main reason cited for the necessity of SBCA to have its own legal aid office was due to the lack of such a program in the south side of Metro Manila. Legal aid offices in other areas of the region would often have to turn down clients from Muntinlupa and Las Piñas because of limited resources. Bearing this in mind, LAC sought to address this issue and focused its operations primarily in Metro Manila’s southern areas, while also extending its reach to other areas. For the first leg of the Hustisya Hub program in Manila City on August 11, LAC interns offered free legal consultations, as well as a seminar on Rules on Small Claims and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act. For the second leg of the program, conducted in Las Piñas City on October 12, free legal service and seminars were provided to the residents of Barangay Talon 4.
All throughout the school year, LAC interns are exposed to actual court scenarios under the mentorship and guidance of supervising lawyers, however their training does not stop there as several seminars for the members have been organized for their further growth and education. One of the priorities of the organization for this school year is to expose the interns to the practice of litigation, honing their courtroom skills, and learning how to properly draft pleadings and briefs. The first seminar was conducted by Assistant City Prosecutor of Parañaque, Atty. Theo Joseph Cabasa, on trial and legal techniques. A second seminar was conducted by SBCA-SOL professor and LAC supervising lawyer, Atty. John Jacome, on Rental Law to the Lupon Tagapamayapa of Barangay Talon 4, Las Piñas City.
As future Bedan lawyers, it is not enough that LAC interns possess a deep understanding of substantive and procedural law. Being students of a Catholic institution also requires the clinical education program to be holistic, instilling a strong sense of justice. An outreach program in Muntinlupa City Jail was held on September 8 to elucidate and further emphasize the legal maxim ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. LAC interns offered free legal consultation and a seminar to people deprived of liberty.
Legal Aid Looking Forward
The Supreme Court en banc adopted and promulgated A.M. No. 19-03-24-SC Rule 138-A Law Student Practice, otherwise known as the Revised Law Student Practice Rule (Revised Rule), which amends certain provisions of the Rules of Court. The most substantial change introduced is that a law student must now apply and secure a Level 1 (first-year law courses) or Level 2 (third-year law courses) certification to be able to engage in the limited practice of law. This would affect parts of the operation of legal aid programs of law schools as a law student’s certificate number must now be included and used in the signing of briefs, pleadings, letters, and other similar documents produced under the direction of a supervising lawyer.
As the amendments would likewise alter how Practice Court, a required subject in the SBCA-SOL curriculum, is to be conducted, LAC is currently serving as mentors to SOL students on drafting pleadings and dealing with clients, passing on the experience they have gathered through their practice. The incorporation of Practice Court classes to the performance of legal aid activities is still in development and currently up for discussion with SBCA-SOL’s administration.
For the second semester, the focus of LAC would be to continue giving the interns as much exposure to law practice through court appearances and offering their services to those seeking legal advice. Incoming Fourth year law students interested in joining the organization in the school year 2020-2021 may contact the Legal Aid Center through their Facebook Page.◾