REFLECTION PAPER: Focusing on what each one has learned from the

entire exercise and stating a concrete and doable resolution or two to be

observed as a law student and later as a law practitioner.
Based on the exercise, I realized that entering the legal profession entails
a lot of pure hard work, passion and sacrifice. Most people, including myself,
have the notion that being a lawyer automatically means that the opportunities
would be overflowing and the income would be substantially high especially
when you come from a renowned school such as the Ateneo. This is not always
the case because in reality, there are a numerous obstacles one is bound to
encounter before becoming successful in the field.
The lawyer we interviewed narrated all the hardships she encountered
before becoming the strong person she is now. In spite of the very challenging
environment law school alone offers, she attended to the needs of her family and
worked in a government agency all at the same time. She had a scholarship
under the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) therefore she had to
maintain certain grades. She is definitely not an average law student because
she had to face real hardships while attending to crucial recitations and tests. As
a result, I realized that I am fortunate because my parents are still capable of
sustaining my necessities whether or not it is related to law school. Generally, our
generation is very fortunate because we have the Internet. Not only would we
save money from photocopying cases and buying books, but also precious time.
I definitely look up to the lawyer we interviewed because of her determination a
quality most people lack nowadays.
One of the most striking stories she told us about was when her boss
prevented her from studying for the bar examinations while at the workplace, in
spite of her boss doing the same thing. Upon the release of the results, she
passed the exam while her boss did not. In the perspective of a law school
student, this situation made me realize that law students should help each other
out instead of the opposite. The crab mentality should be eliminated because we
are all struggling in our own ways and we all need help one way or another. This
is important because we are aiming towards one goal, and that is to become a
lawyer. There is no harm in helping those who are on the same journey as you
are.
Upon graduating and passing the bar examinations, the lawyer we
interviewed decided to stay in the government agency despite the low income.
She remained loyal because she wanted to contribute as much as she could,
given her expertise in the field of law. A few years after, she worked as the clerk
in one of the Municipal Trial Courts (MTC) in Manila and afterwards became a
solo practitioner. She decided to work alone not only because of the money that
comes along with it but also because she believed that it was time to expand her
horizons. More than 10 years into being a solo practitioner, she is not only
successful but also happy. I realized that it is important that it is important to take
risks, because staying in a safety net would not get you anywhere.
Given the entire exercise, a concrete resolution I would adopt as a law
student is to not complain when the going get tough. Instead of complaining, I
should learn how to balance my time between my studies and family so that I do
not get overwhelmed. Another resolution is to help my classmates who are
finding some subjects difficult to cope up with, by sharing notes and forming
digest groups. As a future practitioner, my resolution is to respect my clients,
colleagues, and the Court. It is important to have good working and legal ethics
in order to be successful in the business.