REVIEW MATERIALS

An Interview with Dean Teodorico Martin

Judicious selection of materials for review purposes is a matter of extreme necessity to
the bar candidate, according to former Dean Teodorico C. Martin of the College of Law,
San Sebastian College.
In justification of this statement, Dean Martin cited his review efforts for the 1936 bar
examination where he copped the 7th spot among the first 10 top places that year.
I am citing my own efforts as a warning to the future bar candidates so that they will not
commit the same mistakes I made in my time, he said.
Immediately after graduation, Dean Martin recalled not without regretful remembrance,
he secured all the available notes and books used during his undergraduate days and
started his review preparation in earnest.
After three months of intensive reading and study trying vainly to grasp all those matters
contained in his piles of notes and books, he came upon the realization that
he never completed reviewing a single subject.
Imagine my consternation when I realized that I had only one month more to review and
there were eight bar subjects to tackle! he recalled with vivid clarity.
He took a stock of the situation and immediately prepared a schedule that would enable
him to complete his preparations for one month!
So he had to force himself to review two subjects in the short span of four days, a
procedure that consequently reduced his mental efficiency.
The bar candidate, Dean Martin said, should use only standard textbooks for review
and avoid reading notes all full of unnecessary details and useless explanations that can
only produce mental confusion in his already confused mind.
Despite his defective review efforts, what enabled Dean Martin to obtain very high
rating?
Good background knowledge acquired during four years of college training,
particularly in the eight bar subjects given in the examination, he explained.
Other suggestions for the bar candidates that Dean Martin recommends include efforts
directed toward having a balance diet, proper apportioning of timeavailable when
actually answering bar questions, boarding with three or four candidates in a
dormitory or a secluded house and providing themselves withreview notebooks.
Having a balance diet during this rigorous period of preparation is a matter which
candidates always overlook, he said. This time they should have nourishing food, to
enable them to to build up body energies that are fast getting worn out from terrific use.
Proper apportionment of time when answering questions will enable the candidate to
tackle all by not making the mistake of using too much time on a few at the expense of
others.

Living in a house with three or four other candidates has undeniable advantages,
according to Dean Martin. Here, they are afforded with the maximum quiet that augers
well for concentrated study and review.
It is impossible to review at home, particularly when there are children, he pointed out.
The demands of family living, family chores and problems unduly disrupt concentration.
Moreover, living with other companions, the bar candidate will be able
to discussand exchange notes with them on matters that need clarification, he said.
Dean Martins last recommendation is the need for the candidate to provide himself
with review notebooks for all bar subjects where he could jot down important
provisions of law under each and leading decisions of the Supreme Court interpreting
these legal provisions.
CONFIDENCE!
An Interview with Dean Ricardo Lacson
With the best of spirits, the bar candidate should enter the examination
roomconfident that he will not only pass it, but pass it he would with flying colors.
Thus declared former Dean Ricardo Lacson of the Philippine Law School.
As a matter of fact, the candidate should have had this confidence from the first moment
he entered his freshman class in the law school.
Dean Lacson passed the bar the following year Manuel Roxas topped the examination in
1913.
He discussed the different factors that, in his opinion based on his experience, have
helped him in preparing for the examination.
The first factor: SERIOUS PREPARATION.
Dean Lacson stressed the importance of beginning
candidates first day in the freshman year.

bar

preparation

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The trouble with students, they never take seriously their preparations while still in the
law school. Many of them only begin to study law for the first time during pre-bar
review classes after their graduation.
Cognizant of the very little time he has in his hands, the candidate now adopts measures
that will enable him to stay late in the nights during the four or five months of
preparation.
What happens?
The candidate has to resort to the taking of all conceivable medicine to make him stay
awake practically all nights, Dean Lacson said. Added to this, he also takes plenty
of coffee. Little does he realize the fact that these measures are very injurious to his
health.
And they think by staying awake all nights they can cover grounds which, even in
classroom work, they can never expect to cover, Dean Lacson pointed out. The result is

that next morning when they wake up, their minds are all tired, less able to absorb what
they read the night before.
Another factor that the candidate should consider as an important equipment to enable
him to pass the bar examination is command of language.
In my time, Dean Lacson said, my reading of the law, the decisions of the court, has
helped me a great deal in acquiring a better command of language, an indispensable
factor in writing impressive answers.
Relative to the manner of answering bar questions, the PLS dean has this to say:
The candidate must read the questions very carefully before attempting to write down
his answers. He has to make sure he understands what the questions really call for.
The next step is to find out how many questions are asked. Having determined this, he
must apportion the time available in his hands proportionately to the number of
questions.
The dean turned his attention to the biggest mistake that the candidates always
commit in answering questions.
The examinees spend too much time on those questions they know so well and the net
result is that they finally realize they have very little time left for the other problems.
Why do most students have faulty preparation in school?
Faulty method of instructions. Dean Lacson explained that most professors teach
only as a sideline and therefore find little time to prepare. They ought to spend as much
time or even more, in improving their teaching methods that the students could benefit
much from them.
Sometimes, Dean Lacson complained, the professors dont even know how to conduct
their respective classes. Consequently, this contributes to the sad state of affairs relative
to the training of students. Some of these professors do not even show their students
that they know at least something about their subject matter.
In this way, he said, the students never learn anymore than what their professors know
about their respective subject matters.
The remedy?
We expect to get good professors, of course, the dean said, those who really have
the ability to impart legal knowledge. We are always willing to receive suggestions
from others how to improve our method of instructions.
NEVER QUIT!
An Interview with Dean Vicente Abad Santos
No matter how disappointed you may be with your answers to questions on the first day
of the bar examination, you should never make the unpardonable mistake of quitting.
This valuable piece of advice from former Dean Vicente Abad Santos of the College of
Law, University of the Philippines, is addressed to all bar candidates, present or future.

The UP law dean, the youngest to occupy this distinguished position in the state
university, cited the cases of some UP law graduates who quit after the first day of the
examination because they thought their answers were no good.
Only the examiners can determine this, he pointed out.
Preparations should not begin after graduation but on the first day the candidate enters
his freshman year in the law school.
What did he do after graduation day?
Dean Abad Santos immediately went on a two-week vacation from his codes and
textbooks. The idea here, he explained, is to relax both mind and body in preparation for
the review during the months prior to the actual examination day. This, according to him,
will enable the candidate to conserve as much energy for the grind that is to follow so
that on the first day of the examination, he will not be exhausted and confused.
He recommends no hard and fast rules on schedules with respect to the review of the
eight subjects given in the bar examination.
First, the UP law dean suggests, the candidate should go on leave from work if he
belongs to the working gentry.
The review should be made easy the first three months after graduation, one subject
after another, he said. This review will be intensified only during the month prior to the
examination.
Dean Abad Santos has no objection if the candidate should go to a movie the afternoon
prior to the actual examination day. He also suggests that the candidate should sleep
early so that when he wakes up the following day, he feels fresh and ready for the
battle.
After any given examination, the candidate should never worry about his answers any
longer, the UP law dean said. After all, there is nothing he could do about changing them.
Rather, he should worry about the next examination.
Another advice Dean Abad Santos wants to pass on to bar candidates is that they
should never leave any question unanswered.
If they are at a loss as to what specific legal provisions or doctrine to use in answering
problems, the only alternative left for them is to use their own common sense.
HARD WORK!
An Interview with Dean Jovito Salonga
HARD WORK! This, in a nutshell, is Dean Jovito Salongas formula of passing the bar
examination.
Dean Salonga stressed the need for the candidate to determine for himself
adefinite goal an objective, to which he must train his guns from his first year in
college up to the time he finally tackles the bar examination, if he expects to achieve
success.
The youngest of law deans ever to assume such distinctive office in this country, said
that passing the bar is a hard job and, therefore, it requiresthorough preparation.

He discussed at length the various factors which, in his experience, had helped him
tremendously in preparing for the bar examinations.
The first factor: DETERMINATION.
The bar candidate, he explained, must have the spirit and the will to emerge
triumphant in the great task of attaining his definite objective.
The young educator recalled that when he took up the study of the law from his
freshman year at the state university, he had always nurtured in himself thesecret
ambition of topping the bar examination if and when he takes it. Of course, he
admitted, he never deviated from his objective.
At the same time he confided that while he had this great ambition within himself, he
never breathed it to any soul, much less to the girl of his dreams at the time.
A smile crept over his face, a smile that outshone his youthful countenance. You see, he
explained, there were possibilities of failure. No one can really tell whether he can pass
the examination, much less be certain that he will top it.
Imagine the embarrassment to which I might have exposed myself if I really told the
whole world then of my great ambition and never made it? he said.
Remember, the possibilities are equally great for success as well as failure.
Nevertheless, it is always good to dream of great ambitions. And particularly so
when you realize any of them eventually.
The second factor: Hard work of preparation.
The main bulk of Dean Salongas preparations centered on the writing of review
notes on all bar subjects since he was a freshman law student.
This great task, he recalled, contributed very greatly to his attaining an impressive
foundation of knowledge in all bar subjects. Preparation such as this one provides the
student self-confidence to face the examination without fear.
The third factor: Extensive reading of every and all conceivable printed matter, be they
cultural, philosophical or otherwise.
The idea here, the dean explained, is to attain not only a broad cultural background
knowledge but also a better facility and ability for self-expression. Another
advantage of extensive reading is discipline. Discipline, he said, such as enables one to
absorb what one reads.
The fourth factor: Fifteen minutes of daily morning meditation. With prayers, if you will.
Dean Salonga always had this morning meditation. This enabled him to go over mentally
the various points covered in the review he made the previous day. More than this, it
gave him an opportunity to make the brain rest after a long and tedious dreary reading.
The last factor: Group discussion.
Dean Salonga said group discussions, particularly over matters under review, gives the
candidate an idea exactly where his weak point lies. In this case, he will have an
opportunity to take remedial measures to save the situation.

Moreover, he added, group discussion will afford the candidate a better understanding of
the law which he may have before then, merely but passing knowledge.
Dean Salonga does not believe in requiring students to memorize the law word for word
as is being required by majority of professors in the different colleges.
We must do everything to liberate ourselves from the shackles of memory work, and
more definite emphasis on the understanding of the law from its philosophical and
economic standpoints, and above all, knowledge and ability to apply them in our
lives.
And what does he think about the so-called textbooks sold profitably in the market and
used intensively in the law colleges?
Dean Salonga shook his head. Many of them in his opinions are no textbooks at all by
any given standards, never fit to be used in the law colleges.
The dean maintains the view that many of these so-called textbooks are written by
what he calls properly as scissors and clipping authors who do nothing but copy and
quote materials after materials here and there from numerous works written by authors
no better than they.
They piece all these clippings together and publish them later to pass the same as
textbooks. Any high school graduate with ability for research, capacity to cut clippings
can do just as well in the preparation of similar textbooks.
As a parting word to the bar candidate, Dean Salonga has this to say:
Never forget that preparation is the thing that he must have to fight his battle, the bar
examination.
THE GREAT FORMULA

IN PASSING THE BAR EXAMINATIONS

There is nothing that can help a bar examinee most than a constant and intensive study
of the provisions of the various codes and the interpretation and application thereof by
the Supreme Court in its decisions. By study is meant, that the provisions must be
correctly understood and the thought or words thereof put to memory. After a chapter,
for example, has been studied, the next one should be studied next, and after this, a
review of all that has already been studied re-reviewed, to keep the subject matter and
the provisions fresh in mind. Alejo Labrador
1. Actual preparation for the bar examination starts from the first day a law student
attended class during the first year in the law school.
2. The blooming secret in passing the bar examination is this: Present good answers
that will make the examiners take notice. Good answers anchored upon logical
reasoning, written in readable English and more importantly, justified by
appropriate legal authority.
3. If the candidates are at a loss as to what specific legal provisions or case
doctrines to use in answering problems, the only alternative left for them is to use
their own common sense.

4. The key to passing the bar examinations is contained in one

word: ARTICULATION. Articulation is expressive of the following basic
fundamentals: good language, impressive presentation, logical reasoning and
substantial background knowledge of law and procedure.
5. The examinee who has a fairly good command of English, assuming that he is
prepared in all other matters, stands definitely with a much better chance of
passing.
6. The responsive character of a given answer would depend to a great extent, on
command of good language, logical reasoning and impressive presentation. This
objective of preparing impressive and responsive answers can only be achieved
by constant practice.
7. Get this straight right now. Passing the bar examination has been, still is, and will
always be a difficult proposition!
8. No one can really help you pass the bar examination but yourself.
9. The greatest blooming secret of passing the bar examination is and will always
be: PREPARATION! Not just any kind of preparation, but proper, sound and
systematic preparation.
10. Systematic review can only be done by the use of what we call scheduleswhich
the candidate must follow vigorously to the letter if he expects to attain the best
results.
11. There will be times when you become sleepy while reviewing but never for one
moment, tell yourself: Man, this review can wait! Do not be stupid. Always
remind yourself that time is of the essence and is decidedly running too short for
you.
12. Force yourself to read, understand and absorb what law you reviewed. Otherwise,
all your efforts will go to waste.
13. Love and review cannot mix in the business of preparing for the bar examination.
14. Early to bed, early to rise, that is the way to make a man healthy, wealthy and
wise.
15. A morning shower is a must.
16. Never stay up late to the wee hours of morning, cramming law into your head.
This would not do you any good. Remember, you have to conserve as much
energy as you possibly can.
17. Remember, keeping your health in good running condition is just as important as
reviewing and passing the bar examination.
18. Good handwriting is decidedly a great factor in passing the bar examination.
19. To beat time, never write kilometric answers.
20. By far the most important tool that the bar candidate could equip himself with
which to tackle the examination that is inherently personal to him iscommand of
written English.
21. You have to write simple, grammatically correct English if you want to hurdle the
examination.

22. Presentation of answers that are not only good but logical, full of substance and
supported by law and other authorities, are gems to the examiner, whether he
has a good or black heart.
23. Make your motto now: Stick to codal provisions! Compliment this with
doctrines laid down in recent decisions of the Supreme Court.
24. Impressive answers showing the candidates reasoning faculty is what the
examiners want to read in your examination notebooks.
25. Ability to retain your understanding of the substance of the law through efforts
of study is more desirable quality to possess than mere ability to memorize legal
provisions.
26. Memorizing a particular provision of law word for word but without understanding
it and its various implications is a lot of wasted effort.
27. Never fail to read the newspapers when you are preparing for the bar
examination. Read newspapers from 20 to 30 minutes every day.
28. You can never expect to pass the bar examination without preparation.
29. Predicting probable questions based on important principles or provisions of law is
the safer method of speculating what the examiners are likely to ask in their
examinations.
30. Never depend on tips for your passing. But never brush these tips aside as
nothing but trash. They may likely cause your downfall. Never, however, bank too
much on them.
31. Cheating is one sure way to endanger your future career as a prospective
member of the legal profession. Never commit such atrocious act like cheating in
the bar examination. It never pays. Depend on your own capabilities. Fight
your battle royale on a high plane!
32. Fountain or sign pens are really the most important equipment in bar
examination. Never start for the examination without bringing along with youtwo
or more fountain or sign pens.
33. Like the weather, examiners are absolutely a bunch of unpredictable fellows,
capable of asking unpredictable questions.
34. Do not try to memorize 50 definitions or distinctions in any given time. Two or
three will do.
35. The real secret in remembering the matters contained in an enumeration is the
use of keywords. Make your keywords on enumerations you consider important.
36. Never leave a blank in an enumeration! However, if you use the letters a, b, c,
etc. for numbers in the enumeration, so much the better. Ten to one, the examiner
may not count his fingers. Make the first four in the enumeration definitely good.
37. The bar candidate should do well to be always on guard against catchy
questions capable of being answered in a number of ways, e.g. What is a
complaint? The perfect answer should include both definitions in criminal
and civil procedure.
38. Never be content to answer questions with a mere yes or no. You must, at all
times, give justification why your answer is a yes or no. Unless, of course, the
examiner qualifies his question with instruction enclosed in parenthesis like:
(Answer with a yes or no only).

39. Always determine the real facts (examiners have the bad habit of including
irrelevant facts to confuse you) and the issue or issues in controversy. Which
side you take, always justify your side with reasons based on law, rule, equity
and justice. Whatever your answer may be, provided it is written in legible
language, the examiner will never deny you the corresponding credit you deserve.
40. Always remember, make efforts to frame your answers so that they
areresponsive to the questions. Never beat around the bush. Go right
straight ahead with your answer. Avoid citations if and when you
are notabsolutely sure about them. The shorter the answers are, the more direct,
the better. Avoid display of flowery expressions which are complicated by legal
verbosity. All you need are sensible, direct and reasonable answers that are
responsive to the questions.
41. Legal knowledge is not enough to solve a particular legal issue. What is
important is ability to apply this knowledge to the solution of legal
controversies.
42. The most convenient method of tackling problem questions is to present
immediately the conclusion of a given answer. Practice, practice, constant
practice will help the bar candidate write good answers that examiners will give
favorable credit.
43. The technique of writing down answers responsive to questions is a matter that
the candidate must learn as a matter of imperative necessity.
44. Brevity and directness when done properly could make an answer both effective
and impressive. However, when overdone to a point where the ideas sought to
be conveyed becomes vague and difficult to understand, they become a liability.
45. Never forget that every candidate is a potential bar topnotcher.
46. So, if you are a candidate just preparing for the bar examination, whose chances
of passing are quite problematical, just limit your ambition for the present to just
working hard to obtain a 75 percent in the great battle of your life.
47. Take comfort in this: That even those who become lawyers by just luck, are
making good in the practice of law. Nothing can really put a determined man
down.
48. In your preparation for the greatest battle of your life, call upon Him who is the
source of all knowledge, wisdom and understanding. In deep humility, bended
knees and tears, He will make all things beautiful in His time.Victory belongs to
the most persevering!
How to pass, nay, top the bar exams
By Artemio V. Panganiban
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:46:00 04/19/2008
Filed Under: Laws, Education
MANILA, Philippines?Last Sunday, I commented on the dismal results of the 2007 bar
exams. I said that it was high time the Supreme Court, the Philippine president and the
law schools collaborated to produce better lawyers. ?We concur,? chorused many
readers. But the more pressing query of law students and reviewees for the 2008 test is ?
Can you give us tips on how to pass the 2008 tests?
Having taken the exams eons ago, I felt inadequate answering the question. Besides, I
placed only sixth. So I called someone more qualified, 2005 topnotcher Joan de Venecia.

In turn, she summoned help from two other numero unos, Arlene Maneja (2002) and
Mercedita Ona (2007). Incidentally, Arlene comes from UST, Joan from UP and Mercedita
from Ateneo de Manila. Here are their common tips.
Believe that you deserve to take the test. Forget the times you botched up a recitation or
failed an exam. You?re past that. Believe that you have been allowed to sit for the bar
because you have a fighting chance to pass it. Cultivate composure with that thought.
You?ll need it.
Make time for serious self-evaluation. Have an honest assessment of the subjects you are
good at, and those you feel you have an inadequate foundation on. If you sincerely
believe that you do not have sufficient knowledge of a particular subject, accept it
humbly and know that you still have a number of months to study for it. Adjust the
number of days devoted to each subject according to the results of your self-assessment.
A schedule is recommended to serve as a guide as to how many days you can allot for
every subject.
Have a study plan and be realistic about it. At the start of the bar review, set aside all the
materials you want to cover?all the books, reviewers and notes for each subject. Make it
your guide and pace yourself. People without a plan either underestimate the workload or
get swamped with available materials; either way, they don?t finish everything. So too,
organize your review materials. Time is of the essence during the bar review. You cannot
afford to waste time by looking for misplaced review materials. Maintain eight separate
boxes or drawers for each of the subjects. This will help you sort through your materials
and decide which to read during your pre-week.
Be realistic about your capabilities. People say they will ?start afresh? during the bar
review?study more, play less. That?s nice but it rarely happens. So, in setting a study
plan, be kind to yourself. Give yourself time to attend review lectures, to wake up late, to
be lazy, to go out and to have fun. The bar test is difficult enough without making
yourself sick because of unrealistic expectations.
Do not compare yourself with other reviewees. We all have our own rhythm. Listen to
yours. Bar preparation is an individual task. It is ultimately your understanding of the law
and its varied nuances, not how many readings you do, or the laws that you memorize
verbatim that makes the difference.
Be physically fit. Try to get regular exercise. Eat nourishing meals. Get enough sleep
every day. Take vitamins and supplements. Manage your stress. Remember, all your
efforts will be wasted when your body bogs down.
Use your time wisely. Sit in a review class or do personal reading? If you know the subject
well enough, refresh yourself by attending review classes. If not, read up first. Review
classes assume a certain level of knowledge and, without it, you?ll be lost during the
discussion and waste valuable time. Know that you still have the pre-week review for all
those ?bar tips? that most reviewers give.
Abandon all emotional problems. Inform your family and friends about what you are
going through in preparing for and in taking the exam. Ask for their understanding and
support. The last thing you need is additional source of stress when preparing for the bar
is draining enough. Avoid all distractions. Keep your focus.
Perfect your handwriting and grammar. Bar examiners have to go through thousands of
exam booklets, and they are only human. As would any other normal person, they
appreciate, and understand more, an answer that is at the very minimum, readable and
logical. All three topnotchers have good handwriting, and believe that their passing, nay
topping, the bar was in large part due to this. So, practice writing neatly, legibly and fast.

10

If you are a visual person write down your notes. This exercise will aid your quest for a
beautiful penmanship, and help you retain the facts and the law that may be difficult to
retrieve as you store more information in your brain bank.
Study smartly. Streamline. Codal provisions, a good reviewer for each subject and
updates on jurisprudence should suffice. Master the basics. Understand the substance of
the law and how to apply it to given situations. Recall legal provisions during your spare
time. Listen to audio codals when you travel.
Ask for updates. Doctrines that you have studied in school may have already been
overturned or modified by the Supreme Court or by Congress. Request your bar
operations team to include abbreviated facts in the updates, because bar questions are
often facts-based.
Pray. Pray. Pray.
A final reminder. There is no shortcut to passing the bar. If you want to pass on the first
take, you have to put in the hours, and get yourself in the mood to study. Do not focus on
things you cannot control (e.g., bar examiners, kinds of questions). Devote all your
energies to studying and positive thinking. Good luck!
by Atty. Ma. Christina G. Castillo
Every lawyer has his or her own tips to pass THE Bar (or top it, if you wish).
Allow me to share my thoughts. I hope that this will help you in any way.
Foremost, I believe that passing the Bar is an act of God. Do not commit the
mistake that you can fare well on your own, but if you choose to, it's up to you.
I collected these reminders from the bar reviewers, topnotchers, professors,
and my experience. What's the difference? This is my own presentation.. :)
ONE word to keep in mind for six months = F-O-C-U-S
ONE thing to pray for = WISDOM
Ask God for wisdom - this is one of my fave Bible verses, not just
because of the Bar. I ask God for wisdom in my daily life so He'll guide me
towards the right path.
James 1:5(KJV) - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
TWO things to do:
1. PRAY, as if everything depended on God
2. STUDY, as if everything depended on you
THREE things to handle efficiently:
1. time - this is the most important.
2. effort
3. money
FOUR-FOLD test:
1. physical
2. emotional/psychological
3. mental, and
4. spiritual well-being

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FOUR aids as you answer the Bar:

1. wisdom
2. understanding
3. clarity of thought
4. facility of expression

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