Ferrer, Johansen Z.

L-120274

3G Legal Counseling
Thursday 4:30 - 6:30PM

A. My Chosen Field or Sector: Private Practice

In the Legal Profession there are many fields to specialise at. It can vary from being a
litigation lawyer, a family lawyer, a private practice lawyer that handles everything or woking
for the government. Out of these specialisation I have chosen to pursue after I pass the bar is
doing work in a private practice. Whether or not for someone elses private practice or my
own is still something I am thinking about. Private practice draws me in because of the
opportunity to actually be able to touch and work with a great variety of subjects depending on
your clients needs. If your client needs help with labor and management then you can do it
and if for the next your client ask of you to help with family law then you still can. I believe and
expect variety and challenges that differ from each other. Yes, time and probably sleep will be
the most treasured things I will seek but it will be worth if I can make sure to manage them
wisely, for myself, for my family and friends, and for my clients.

B. Applying Principles of Legal Counseling to Private Practice

Legal Counseling to lawyers doing private practice is something that is like forming life
long friends. This is because legal counselling is getting to know your clients and forming trust
between each other. Legal Counselling is Bedside Manners to doctors and nursers. Legal
Counselling ensures that your clients are up to date on what is happening on their case/s. At
the same time, Legal Counselling ensures that almost all scenarios regarding the case/s may
be covered by the lawyer hired because of the long standing trust made between the two of
them when they started transacting and is being maintained by the Legal Counselling made
by the lawyer. Proper Legal Counselling ensures that the level of confidentiality and integrity
needed to stay professional and still be personal with each and every client is being
maintained and even strengthened throughout the lawyer-client relationship.

C. Interview Transcript
C.1.

Full Name: Katrina Ayn Ayza F. Cue

C.2.

Where you studied: San Beda College Mendiola

C.3.

Year Passed the Bar: 2014

Page 1 of 4

Ferrer, Johansen Z.
3G Legal Counseling
L-120274
Thursday 4:30 - 6:30PM
C.4.
Do you have a Masters Degree? If yes, where did you get it and what year
and what motivated you to get the Masters Degree? If no, do you plan to have a
Masters Degree?
No, I don't have a Master's Degree. Thought has crossed my mind just
recently. What I planned and dreamt of was to enrol in and study about
economics, psychology or political science.
C.5.

Where are you working now? Divino and Gavino Law Offices. It is at S501

OMM Citra Building Dan Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center Pasig City.
C.6.

How long have you been working at you current job? I've been with DGLAw

since January 2014.

C.7.

What motivated you to work at your current sector? What motivated me to

work in a law firm where I'm able to practice lit, labor, corp, and tax? Well it is that I'm
exposed to and able to practice different fields of law at a time. I'm generally a shy
person, have stage fright so I wanted to know if I'm cut out for litigation.
C.8.

While studying in what sector/field did you plan to work at? Probably in a

firm doing litigation.

C.9.

Given a chance would you work for a different sector and/or firm? Not at

this time.
C.10.

Do you feel that in this line of work you can and have made a difference? I

may have affected the lives of my clients in how I approach the job and deal with them
on a regular basis. But having made a Difference in the truest sense of the term, not
yet. It's mostly because the environment is not conducive for it.
C.11.

What were your expectations before entering your current line of work?

None really. [Maybe] that Im gonna work [and] work. I wont be asked to do OT
[overtime] unless needed.
C.12.

Was your expectations met? If not, do you plan to change it? Yes.

C.13.

Any horror stories and disadvantages to share with regard to your line of

work? I have been lucky to have been hired in a firm with incredibly professional,
brilliant and kind bosses that I don't have horror stories, in terms of sinisigawan
Page 2 of 4

Ferrer, Johansen Z.
3G Legal Counseling
L-120274
Thursday 4:30 - 6:30PM
[scolding], binabato [objects being thrown at you], etc. I've had a bad witness
presentation. As to disadvantages, [there are] long [work] hours sometimes. If one's
not careful time passes by and you [will] forget to have a life. Some clients are very
demanding. Some would say my pay could be higher. Small firms kinda limit your
environment. [The] travel to and from hearings. minsan tiring, minsan walang batas na
sawk sa kailangan mo. [Sometimes, no definite rule of law is available for your present
case]
C.14.

Any good and inspiring stories and benefits to share with regard to your

line of work? Targeting a small firm works to ones advantage cause you get to
practice all fields of law. I'd say that big victories are rare but small ones color your
days. Fulfilment comes in being able to finish one aspect of a job at a time, a
successful witness presentation, a good cross, a motion won, little legal problems
solved every now and then. You get to meet people from all walks of life, you are
humbled.
C.15.

Final word of advise for me and anyone else wanting to enter your line of

work?

Suppose this applies to life in general too. Respect your gut feel. More often than not
you know what you want, have the courage to go after it and see it through. Listen to
what people that matter to you have to say but in the end you have to put yourself first.
It's a bit selfish, but to a certain point and a certain extent you have too. Don't be afraid
to follow your dreams and do what you want. If you haven't figured it out yet, then don't
be afraid to try things out.

I believe that every lawyer ought to experience litigation. :)

Be grateful you're a Bedan. Don't take your lessons for granted. That's your lifeboat for
life. I'm capable of doing what I'm doing partly because I got a good education. So
don't take any subject for granted. Don't forget tax!
If you love puzzles, as I do, you'll enjoy the practice of law.
I don't have much negative things to say because I love what Im doing and Im
enjoying. The usual stressors in my work are the usual stressors that we encounter in
Page 3 of 4

Ferrer, Johansen Z.
3G Legal Counseling
L-120274
Thursday 4:30 - 6:30PM
life and on a daily basis, even in law school. Nagiba lang ng anyo. May mga
demanding tao, may mga panahong sobrang busy mo, sabay sabay ang mga
pleadings na due tapos may hearing parang sunod sunod kang on deck or madaming
homework tapos recit ka or quiz kinabukasan, (It just changed in form. There will be
demanding people, times that you will be so busy, almost all your pleadings will be due
on the same day or week, then you will be facing continous hearing as if you are
always on deck for recitation or you just have too many homeworks then you still have
recitations or quiz the following day) clients can be demanding, you and your boss
might sometimes have differences of opinion in a particular kind of work, some people
can be difficult. But all of these, they pay off.
Take your time in choosing your job or where you want to work. But dont take too long
naman. Dont rush into maling (wrong) the decision kung anong trabaho ang kukunin
(into what work you will go into). Consider everything.

D. Summary and Reflection

Abraham Lincoln once said Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend
the first four sharpening the axe. For me this is what law school is all about. It is about
preparing a person who seeks to become a lawyer become the lawyer such person wants to
be. It is like seeing law school as the path and the end is becoming a lawyer. It is best to
encounter all the hardships I can possibly handle now where mistakes and failures are still
part of a normal everyday life and that those mistakes will not cause anyone his/her life and/or
property than make them when I am a lawyer where everything else matters.
Atty. Kat Cue showed me that preparation is the key. Although preparation will most
likely be never enough, it is still enough to help you get things together and always see things
in a positive light. To think things through on what I chose to work on and what I chose to be
my end goal is half of the preparation in facing the battle of becoming a lawyer.
I hope that all of my lessons in San Beda whether academically or not will always stick
with me, well, the very important ones at least, and help me be a better person and lawyer
when the time comes.

Page 4 of 4