FIVE schools in Davao Region are included in the list of top-performing law schools during the November 2022 Bar Examinations, based on the results released by the Supreme Court on Friday, April 14.
Ateneo de Davao University (Addu), Jose Maria College (JMC), and the University of Mindanao (UM) in Davao City, as well as St. Mary’s College of Tagum and St. Thomas More School of Law and Business in Tagum City, are the top-performing law schools in their respective categories.
The Supreme Court filtered the performance of schools based on the passing rate of first-time candidates and overall candidates.
For law schools with 51 to 100 overall candidates, Addu and JMC ranked first and third respectively.
Addu earned a passing rate of 92.06 percent wherein 58 examinees passed out of 63 total takers. With this, Addu also earned a 96.55 percent passing rate for first-time candidates wherein 56 out of 58 takers passed the bar.
College of Law Dean Atty. Emmanuel Quibod said Addu’s academic standards developed the high quality of students they produce over the years, which manifests in the university’s consistent performance during bar exams.
Although Addu’s retention policy is rigid, Quibod said it helps prepare them for the real world and shape their character, since being a lawyer is a “very tough” profession.
“(The new breed of lawyers, I hope are) Compassionate and caring for others. There should be some sense of social responsibility and sense of community, especially in the pursuit of truth and justice. These are what shapes the character of our lawyers,” Quibod said.
On the other hand, JMC earned a 69.64 percent passing rate wherein 39 passed out of 56 total first-time examinees. JMC also ranked fifth for the 51 to 100 overall candidates category.
“This remarkable feat is a proof to the unwavering dedication, hard work, and perseverance of JMC Law's faculty and students, who have shown exemplary commitment to academic excellence and legal proficiency,” JMC College of Law said in a statement.
For law schools with 11 to 50 first-time candidates, UM ranked fourth with a 90.91 percent passing rate wherein 10 out of 11 total first-time takers passed the exam.
St. Thomas More School of Law and Business ranked second under law schools with 1 to 10 first-time candidates with a passing rate of 88.89 percent wherein eight out of nine takers passed.
Meanwhile, St. Mary’s College of Tagum also ranked fifth under law schools with 1 to 10 overall candidates wherein six out of nine takers passed. This earned them a 66.67 passing rate. ICM