My 42 years of teaching Law to future lawyers

I have been a lawyer since 1974, a practicing attorney since 1976, a law professor since 1977, a Bar Reviewer since 1987, and an author of Law books since 1997. But my best experiences came to me as a professor of Law.

Perhaps the greatest reward a Law professor gets is to see his former students achieve the highest levels of professional success. If and when Congressman Allan Jay Lord Velasco of the lone district of Marinduque finally gets elected as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, then I shall claim the honor of having been his Law professor in UST Law in the ‘90s. Marc Douglas Cagas IV of Davao del Sur was elected as vice governor in Davao del Sur (the governor is his father and the representative is his mother), and he was my student in the UE College of Law in the ‘80s. Vice Mayor Mike Rama was my student in the UV Gullas Law School in the late ‘70s. The late press secretary of President GMA, Cerge Remonde, was also my student in UV Law.

There are many regional trial court judges who were in my class, (imagine teaching Law, mostly Labor Laws and Legal Ethics from 1977 up to this time). Foremost of my students who are now judges is Judge Pia Bersamin Embuscado, now RTC judge in Las Piñas City. Her husband who was also in my class, Judge Niño Embuscado is metropolitan city judge of Makati, and soon to join his wife as RTC magistrate. Judge Pia is a daughter of Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, also my fellow Law professor and Bar reviewer in the UST Faculty of Civil Law, and also in the UE College of Law. The chief justice was a Bar topnotcher and a very effective lecturer and Bar reviewer.

Teaching is a very rewarding profession, not for the money but for the sense of fulfillment in seeing former students rise in the legal profession and in Philippine society. Lecturing from five in the afternoon up to ten at night, after a full day's work in the corporate world or in various courtrooms, would otherwise be too burdensome, especially to a senior citizen like this writer. But the fatigue and the burdens somehow would be lightened by the pleasant memories that we create with every single encounter with young, idealistic, and impressionable men and women who are future judges, congressmen, and Cabinet members.

The questions and answers that we propound and discuss in the classrooms constitute as the foundations of a future career in law and administration of justice. Lectures and recitations, written examinations and debates, and endless discussions on cases decided by the Supreme Court, all these make our life exciting. I used to have a student who was already 65 years old. He loved to argue and banter. His wife is a judge and his three sons are lawyers. He was very active in my class. Last week he took his oath as a lawyer, at the same time my son had his oath taking too. I was very happy to see both of them hurdle one of the most difficult Bar exams with only 22% passing rate.

Forty-two years of teaching in the college of law made my life quite colorful. And the achievements of my former students make it even more fulfilling. It has been a beautiful life and my experiences inside the Law schools made my years worth all the hard work.