107 law students from the University of San Jose–Recoletos (USJ-R) School of Law took their oath before Honorable Marlon Jay G. Moneva, Executive Judge of RTC Cebu City, on Thursday, August 8, 2024, at the USJ-R Main Campus. These students are now full-fledged Law Student Practitioners (LSPs), authorized for limited practice as mandated by Rule 138 of A.M. No. 19-03-24-SC. This initiative is part of the Supreme Court's efforts, in partnership with various law schools across the country, to produce practice-ready lawyers.
The 107 LSPs constitute the third batch under the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) of the USJ-R School of Law, which will be introduced to partner communities. Guided by CLEP Professor Atty. Christian Fernandez and the other supervising lawyers at USJ-R, the LSPs will conduct public legal education and assist with various legal concerns affecting vulnerable sectors in the community through Project Barangay Legal Unit (BLU).
Representing the batch, Mr. Jeowy Ompad encouraged his fellow Law Student Practitioners to use this experience to address the numerous legal problems in the community and to leverage the program as a means to ensure equitable access to the Philippine justice system.
In addition to the oath-taking, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed to solidify the partnership between the USJ-R School of Law, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7, the IBP Cebu City Chapter, Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP)–Cebu, and Intellimeter International Resources Inc. This agreement ensures a collaborative approach to enhancing legal assistance and community outreach initiatives.
Present at the signing were Atty. Ian Kenneth B. Lucero, professor at USJ-R School of Law and director III/assistant regional director of DILG 7; Atty. Bernardino T. Amago IV, vice president of the IBP Cebu City Chapter; Atty. Mary Grace H. Casano, director and executive director for Legal Aid at the IBP Cebu City Chapter; Novelardo B. Diacamos Jr., president of SNPP-Cebu; Atty. Virginia Palanca-Santiago of Legal Alternatives for Women (LAW) Inc.; Ted Allen Villaflores, treasurer of the USJ-R School of Law Alumni Association Inc.; and Patricia M. Laperal, represented by Faye Jean T. Asuncion, corporate secretary of Intellimeter International Resources Inc. (SPONSORED CONTENT)