Legal Education - Philippines

Philippines

Law degree programs are considered graduate programs in the Philippines. As such, admission to law schools requires the completion of a bachelor's degree, with a sufficient number of credits or units in certain subject areas.

Graduation from a Philippine law school constitutes the primary eligibility requirement for the Philippine Bar Examinations, administered by the Supreme Court during the month of September every year.

In order to be eligible to take the bar examinations, one must complete either of the two professional degrees: The Bachelor of Laws (Ll.B.) program or the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program. Advanced degrees are offered by some law schools, but are not requirements for admission to the practice of law in the Philippines.

Legal education in the Philippines normally proceeds along the following route:

• Undergraduate education (usually 4 years)
• Law school (usually 4 years)
• Admission to the bar (usually by taking a Philippine bar exam)
• Legal practice and mandatory continuing legal education