A SUPREME Court (SC) justice has urged more than 3,000 new lawyers to be good human beings.
“More than being called ‘attorney,’ the essence of being a lawyer is being a good person. That is why you should pay special attention to the kind of person you are to all those around you,” Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier said in a speech.
Lazaro-Javier will serve as the chairperson of the Bar examinations this year.
A total of 3,942 out of the 3,962 applicants who passed the 2024 Bar examinations took their oath and signed the roll of attorneys at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, according to the SC Office of the Spokesperson. The event marked the formal induction of the newest members of the Philippine Bar.
Moral competence
Associate Justice Mario Lopez, chairman of the 2024 Bar examinations, congratulated the new lawyers and emphasized their responsibility to uphold ethical standards and moral competence.
“Today, you are required to make a solemn pledge that you will become morally competent lawyers,” Justice Lopez told the new lawyers.
He also stated that the lawyer’s oath is deeply intertwined with legal ethics and the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.
The Bar examinations were conducted on Sept. 8, 11, and 15, and were part of the fourth series of digitalized and regionalized Bar exams as part of the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.
The exams covered subjects including Political and Public International Law, Commercial and Taxation Laws, Civil Law, Labor Law and Social Legislation, Criminal Law and Remedial Law and Legal Ethics.
Thirteen schools served as national headquarters and testing centers in various regions, including institutions in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Before the oath-taking ceremony, Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda led an invocation, offering prayers for both successful passers and those who were not able to join the roster of new lawyers. Clerk of Court En Banc Marife Lomibao-Cuevas administered the oath to the new lawyers.
This year’s ceremonies underscore the SC’s commitment to modernizing the Bar process while maintaining its focus on producing ethical and capable legal professionals.