NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 1639
o( tl)p ff.’. n et irr
23 JAN ”9 R2:08
RECEIVED BV;
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7662, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
LEGAL EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1993, CREATING FOR THE 
PURPOSE A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE 
PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Based on the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ Lawyers’ List, as of November 
30, 2022, there is a total of 84,236 lawyers in the Roll of Attorneys since the first 
Philippine Bar Exams took place in 1901.1 However, the number of active lawyers in 
the country is lower as there are non-practicing lawyers, lawyers working in other 
jurisdictions, have passed away, or for any other reason do not engage in active legal 
practice.
Lawyer-to-population ratio in other jurisdictions are lower. According to the 
World Population Review, an independent organization based in the United States,2 
the lawyers per capita in the following countries are as follows: United States (1 
lawyer:248 residents); Italy (1 lawyer:260 residents): and Germany (1 lawyer:516 
residents).3
Previous estimates in 2016 cite that there are around 40,000 living lawyers, 
with 1 lawyer serving 2,500 Filipinos.4 While the total population of the country has 
increased since then to 109.035 million Filipinos,5 and additional lawyers have been
1 Supreme Court of the Philippines, Lawyers’ List. Available at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/lawlist/ (Accessed on January 5, 2023).
2 About World Population Review. Available at https://worldpopulationreview.com/about (Accessed on January 5, 2023).
3 Lawyers per Capita by Country 2023. Available at https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/lawyers-per-capita-by- 
country (Accessed on January 5, 2023).
4 September 16, 2016, Too Many Lawyers. Foundation for Economic Freedom. Available at https://www.fef.org.ph/jemy- 
gatdula/too-many-lawyers/ (Accessed on January 5, 2023).
5 Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020 Census of Population and Flousing. Available at https://psa.gov.ph/population-and- 
housing/node/167965 (Accessed on January 5, 2023).


admitted to the Philippine Bar, our current ratio may still be far from manageable, 
necessitating the country to produce more lawyers.
Nonetheless, the pursuit of legal education is not a small feat. Tuition fees alone 
in private law schools in the country range from Php33,000 to Php98,000 per 
semester, while fees in a leading state law school range from Php25,000 to Php30,000 
per semester. Additional costs for books and reading materials, commuting or renting 
accommodation. Bar petition, review, and exam-related costs, and other 
miscellaneous fees likewise vary.
Thus, this bill aims to provide deserving students access to legal education, 
with the aim of bridging the gap of access to justice by increasing the number of 
lawyers in the public service. Inspired by the “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act” established 
under Republic Act No. 11509, the bill proposes to establish a Legal Scholarship and 
Return Service (LSRS) Program for deserving students in state universities and 
colleges (SUCs) and partner private higher education institutions. The LSRS shall be 
separate and distinct from the Clinical Legal Education Program under Rule 138-A of 
the Rules of Court.
The LSRS shall be administered by the Legal Education Board (LEB), which is 
tasked with the duty of administering the legal education system in the country under 
Republic Act No. 7662 or the “Legal Education Reform Act of 1993,” in coordination 
with the UniFAST Board created under Republic Act No. 10687 or the “Unified Student 
Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Act.”
Covered financial assistance in the LSRS Program include: 
a) Free tuition and other school fees;
Allowance for prescribed books;
Clothing or uniform allowance;
Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation; 
Transportation allowance;
Bar review fees, including Bar examination application fees: Provided, 
That the same shall only be available for the first two (2) bar 
examinations taken;
Annual medical insurance; and
Other education-related miscellaneous subsistence or living 
allowances.
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
In return, scholars shall render at least one (1) year of return service for every 
scholarship year availed of, and shall be integrated into the public or pro bono legal 
service system, through the Public Attorney’s Office or other appropriate government 
offices in need of lawyers, and shall be granted the appropriate civil service rank, 
salary, and related benefits.
Thus, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
JOEl/VILLANUEVA


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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
)
^fnntr
o( llie Jfe'i'c. ftnip
23 JAN-9 PI2 X)9
RtCEiVEDBV;
SENATE
S.B. No. 1639
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7662, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
LEGAL EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1993, CREATING FOR THE 
PURPOSE A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE 
PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Long Title. - The long title of Republic Act No. 7662, otherwise 
known as the “Legal Education Reform Act of 1993,” shall be amended as follows;
“An Act Providing for Reforms in the Legal Education, Creating for the 
Purpose, a Legal Education Board AND A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND 
RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM, and for Other Purpose”
SEC. 2. Short Title. - Section 1 of Republic Act No. 7662 shall be amended to 
read as follows:
Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Legal Education Reform 
AND LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM ACT.”
SEC. 3. Legal Scholarship Fund. - New Sections 11-A to 11-D shall be 
inserted to read as follows:
Section 11-A. Establishment of the Legal Scholarship and Return Service 
Program. - There shall be established a Legal Scholarship and Return 
Service (LSRS) Program for deserving students in state universities and 
colleges (SUCs) or in partner private higher education institutions (PHEIs) 
in regions where there are no SUCs offering a Bachelor of Laws or Juris 
Doctor Program: Provided, That the Legal Education Board may designate 
more than one (1) partner higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region, 
including regions where there are existing SUCs offering the Bachelor of


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Laws or Juris Doctor Program as deemed necessary, upon consultation with 
the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine Association of Law 
Schools and other relevant stakeholders.
In all case, qualified applicants from municipalities without an active 
practicing lawyer providing pro bono services or other similar organizations 
offering pro bono or discounted legal services or areas shall be prioritized 
in the allocation of scholarship slots to ensure the assignment of one (1) 
lawyer for every municipality in the country.
The LSRS, including the funding thereof, shall be administered by the Legal 
Education Board, in coordination with the UniFAST Board created under 
Republic Act No. 10687 or the “Unified Student Financial Assistance 
System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Act.”
Section 11-B. Coverage. - The LSRS Program established under this Act 
shall be made available to deserving Filipino students who want to pursue 
a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degree.
The student financial assistance for the LSRS Program shall include the 
following;
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
Free tuition and other school fees;
Allowance for prescribed books;
Clothing or uniform allowance;
Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation; 
Transportation allowance;
Bar review fees, including Bar examination application fees: Provided, 
That the same shall only be available for the first two (2) bar 
examinations taken;
Annual medical insurance; and
Other education-related miscellaneous subsistence or living 
allowances.
Section 11-C. Conditions for the Grant of Scholarship. - Deserving 
students accepted to the LSRS Program shall be subject to the following 
conditionalities:
a) 
Must sign an agreement stating the terms and conditions of the 
scholarship on a form prescribed by the LEB pursuant to the provisions 
of this Act;
b) 
Must carry the full load of subjects prescribed per semester by the 
sue or PHEI, and shall not, under any circumstances, drop a course 
which will result in underloading;
c) 
Must meet all the academic requirements of the SUC or PHEI 
concerned;


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d) 
Must finish the entire Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degree program 
within the prescribed time frame of the SUC or PHEI where the scholar 
is enrolled in, subject to the retention policies of the SUC or PHEI; 
Provided, That nothing herein shall prevent the scholar from applying 
for a leave of absence for justifiable reason/s;
e) 
Must take the Bar examination within a maximum period of one (1) 
year after completion of the degree program; and
f) 
Must render return service as provided under Section 11 -D of this Act.
A violation of any of the foregoing conditions shall automatically result in the 
revocation of the scholarship provided under this Act. The acceptance of 
another scholarship while the scholar is a recipient of the benefits of the 
LSRS Program shall also result in the revocation of the scholarship.
Section 11-D. Return Service. - The scholar shall render at least one (1) 
year of return service for every scholarship year availed of: Provided, That 
any fraction of scholarship year shall be deemed as one (1) whole year for 
the purposes of computing the return service provided under this Section; 
Provided, further. That the scholar shall have a period of three (3) years 
from the time of signing the Roll of Attorneys to commence the return 
service; Provided further, That the scholar shall be integrated into the public 
or pro bono legal service system, through the Public Attorney’s Office and 
other appropriate government offices in need of lawyers, and shall receive 
the appropriate civil service rank, salary and related benefits; Provided, 
further. That the mandatory return service herein provided shall be distinct 
and separate from the Clinical Legal Education Program as provided under 
Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court; Provided, finally. That the scholar shall 
serve in a government public legal office in the scholar’s hometown or, in 
the absence of a need thereat, in any municipality within the scholar’s home 
province, or in any underserved municipality closest to the scholar’s 
hometown determined by the Board as a priority area, upon consultation 
with relevant stakeholders.
A scholar who fails or refuses to comply with the mandatory return service 
and integration provided under this Act shall be required to pay two times 
the full cost of scholarship, including other benefits and expenses incurred 
by reason of participation in the scholarship program, with full legal interest 
thereon; Provided, That the abovementioned penalties shall not apply to 
lawyers who fail to comply with the required return service on account, or 
by reason of, severe or serious illness, or death.
SEC. 4. Appropriations. - An initial amount of One Hundred Million Pesos 
(Phpl 00,000,000.00) shall be appropriated as seed money for the establishment of 
the Legal Scholarship and Return Service Program provided under this Act.
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous implementation of the 
legal scholarship provided under this Act shall be included in the scholarship program 
of SUCs and LEB in the annual General Appropriations Act.


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SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - W\{hm thirty (30) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, the LEB, in consultation with the Public Attorney’s Office 
(PAO), the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine Association of Law 
Schools and other relevant stakeholders, shall promulgate the implementing rules 
and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, issuances, rules and 
regulations or part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation.
Approved,