Did you know that there are just 40,000 lawyers registered in the rolls of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, according to 2016 article published in BusinessWorld? That seems to be a small number, considering the seeming proliferation of lawyers in the country.
In terms of the Philippine Bar Exam, tens of thousands of hopefuls actually take the exam every year, with just a few hundreds successfully hurdling it. The highest Bar Exam passing rate was 75.17% back in 1954. This means 3 out of 4 takers successfully passed the bar that year. In contrast, the lowest passing rate was 16.59% in 1999.
Lawyers in the Philippines
Attorneys or Lawyers have different roles and responsibilities, depending on the field of specialization. Some of their typical jobs include:
- explaining the law
- giving general legal advice
- representing a client and giving advise on a legal situation
- settling disputes and supervising agreements
- drafting contracts and legal documents
- analyzing legal documents
- gathering and researching evidence
- creating oral arguments in the courts
- attending court hearings to defend clients
- conveyancing (making documentary requirements for transfer of properties)
- prosecuting criminal suspects
Philippine Bar Examination
To become an official Attorney in the Philippines, an individual must:
- 1. Be a holder of a Professional Degree in Law from a recognized law school in the Philippines; and
- 2. Pass the Philippine Bar Examination, which is administered by the Supreme Court Bar Examination Committee under the appointment of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
The Philippine Bar Exam is scheduled only once a year, usually in November.
If you’re interested to be an attorney or a lawyer, take note of the following scope of the Bar Exam which includes these topics, among others:
- Political and Public International Law
- Labor and Social Legislation
- Civil Law
- Taxation
- Mercantile Law
- Criminal Law
- Remedial Law, and
- Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises
To pass the examination, you should obtain a passing average of 75% and no grade must fall below 50% in any bar subject.
Best Law Schools in the Philippines
Are you interested to find out which universities in the Philippines are able to achieve the highest passing rates in the Philippine Bar Examination? We compiled the data from previous Bar exams to determine the top schools with the highest Bar Examination passing rates.
Check out the table below to see if your school is one of the top Law schools in the Philippines in terms of Bar Exam passing rate!
Schools ranked by Bar Exam Passing Rate
| Rank | Law School | Bar Exam Passing Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the Philippines | 73.71% |
| 2 | Ateneo de Manila University | 67.55% |
| 3 | San Beda College-Manila | 67.13% |
| 4 | University of San Carlos | 58.00% |
| 5 | Ateneo de Davao University | 53.02% |
| 6 | University of Santo Tomas | 43.98% |
| 7 | University of Cebu | 41.49% |
| 8 | San Beda College-Alabang | 39.10% |
| 9 | Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila | 35.80% |
| 10 | Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan | 32.20% |
Note: The passing rates just count the first-time takers; repeaters are not included in the passing rate. All figures are based on the 2012-2014 bar examinations.
If you’re interested to find out how much it costs to study in a law school, check out the table below which shows the amount of tuition fee you’ll have to pay every semester.
Tuition Fee in Philippine Law Schools
| Law Schools in the Philippines | Tuition Fee per Sem (estimate) |
|---|---|
| University of the Philippines | PHP 25,000 - PHP 30,000 |
| Ateneo de Manila University | PHP 75,000 - PHP 98,000 |
| San Beda College-Manila | PHP 63,000 |
| University of San Carlos | PHP 32,000 |
| Ateneo de Davao University | No Data |
| University of Santo Tomas | No Data |
| University of Cebu | PHP 25,000 |
| San Beda College-Alabang | PHP 60,000 |
| Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila | PHP 32,000 |
| Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan | PHP 33,000 |
Source: PRC Philippines (prc.gov.ph); LAEPrepper.com
