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.