SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
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SENATE
SENATE BILL No. 2 4 9 8
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'17 JUL 17 PI 28
R E C ciV iU  Lv.
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN A c r
TO HARMONIZE LEGAL P:DUCATI0N IN OUR COUNTRY
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Under present law, there are two institutions that regulate legal education. The 
first is the Legal Education Board (LEB), which was created under R.A. No. 7662, 
otherwise known as the Legal Education Reform Act of 1993. The LEB is an 
independent unit under the supervision of the Department of Education. It is tasked 
with the following objectives:
Section 7. Powers and Functions. - For the purpose of achieving the 
objectives of this Act, the Board shall havethe following powers and 
functions:
(a) to administer the legal education system in the country in a manner 
consistent with the provisions of this Act;
(b) to supervise the law schools in the country, consistent with its powers 
and functions as herein enumerated;
(c) to set the standards of accreditation for law schools taking into 
account, among others, the size of enrollment, the qualifications of the 
members of the faculty, the library and other facilities, without 
encroaching upon the academic freedom of institutions of higher 
learning;
(d) to accredit law schools that meet the standards of accreditation;
(e) to prescribe minimum standards for law admission and minimum 
qualifications and compensation of faculty members;
(f) to prescribe the basic curricula for the course of study aligned to the 
requirements for admission to the Bar, law practice and social 
consciousness, and such other courses of study as may be prescribed


by the law schools and colleges under the different levels of 
accreditation status;
(g) to establish a law practice internship as a requirement for taking the 
Bar which a law student shall undergo with any duly accredited private 
or public law office or firm or legal assistance group anytime during the 
law course for a specific period that the Board may decide, but not to 
exceed a total of twelve (12) months. For this purpose, the Board shall 
prescribe the necessary guidelines for such accreditation and the 
specifications of such internship which shall include the actual work of a 
new member of the Bar.
(h) to adopt a system of continuing legal education. For this purpose, the 
Board may provide for the mandatory attendance of practicing lawyers 
in such courses and for such duration as the Board may deem 
necessary; and
(i) to perform such other functions and prescribe such rules and 
regulations necessary for the attainment of the policies and objectives 
of this Act.
The other institution tasked with the development and administration of legal 
education is the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), which was created by virtue 
of R.A. No. 8557. PHILJA, on the other hand, is mandated to “serve as a training school 
for justices, judges, court personnel, lawy ers and aspirants to judicial posts.”1
While the LEB deals with the education of aspiring lawyers, PHILJA deals with 
the training of those already practicing law. While these two institutions cater to 
different students, both of them teach the same legal system. Thus, there is need to 
harmonize the direction in which the legal education is being administered. As the 
practice of law is an ever evolving discipline whose role is continually increasing in our 
society, we should have a coordinated effort towards legal education. We can do so by 
establishing a nexus between the LEB and PHILJA.
Since PHILJA is more connected to the judiciary and the bar owing to its 
mandate, their presence in the LEB can ser\ e to provide opportunities to initiate faster 
reforms based on real time developments in the practice of law'.
This bill designates the PHILJA Chancellor or his representative as the vice­
chair of the LEB. As such, the PHILJA will be strategically connected with LEB, and 
thus will be able to influence LEB policies to harmonize both institutions’ efforts.
«
LlilLA M. DE LPMA
1 R.A. No. 8557, Sec. 3


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
'>v-r. j r '. c 
c (  I 'P 
■ 1 ? tn rj»
'17 
JUL 17 PI 2 8
SF:N A TE  
RECEIV'Ob,
1498
SENATE BILL NO
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
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AN ACT
TO HARMONIZE LEGAL EDUCATION IN OUR COUNTRY
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled.
SECTION 1. Republic Act No. 7662, otherwise known as AN ACT PROVIDING FOR 
REFORMS IN THE LEGAL EDUCATION, CREATING FORTHE PURPOSE, A LEGAL 
EDUCATION BOARD AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, Section 4, shall be amended to 
read as follows:
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Section 4. Legal Education Board; Creation and 
Composition. - To carry out the purpose of this Act, there 
is hereby created the Legal Education Board, hereinafter 
referred to as the Board, attached solely for budgetary 
purposes and administrative support to the Department of 
Education, Culture and Sports.
The Board shall be composed of a Chairman, who shall 
preferably be a former justice of the Supreme Court or 
Court of Appeals, THE CHANCELLOR OF THE 
PH ILIPPIN E JUDICIAL ACADEMY (PIIIL JA ), OR 
HIS REPRESENTATIVE, AS VICE-CHAIR; and the 
following as regular members: a representative of the 
Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP); a representative of


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the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS); a 
representative from the ranks of active law practitioners; 
and, a representative from the law students' sector. The 
Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and 
Sports, or his representative, shall be an ex officio member 
of the Board.
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With the exception of the representative of the law 
students' sector, the Chairman and regular members of the 
Board must be natural-born citizen of the Philippines and 
members of the Philippine Bar, who have been engaged for 
at least ten (lo) years in the practice of law, as well as in 
the teaching of law in a duly authorized or recognized law 
school.
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SECTION 2. Republic Act No. 7662, Section 5, shall be amended to read as follows:
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Section 5. Term of Office; Compensation. -  EXCEPT 
FOR THE CHANCELLOR OF THE PH ILJA , W HO 
SHAlLL s e r v e  e x  OFICIO, [t]he Chairman and 
regular members of the Board shall be appointed by the 
President for a term 
of five (5) years without 
reappointment from a list of at least three (3) nominees 
prepared, with prior authorization from the Supreme 
Court, by the Judicial and Bar Council, for every position 
or vacancy, and no such appointment shall need 
confirmation by the Commission on Appointments. Of 
those first appointed, the Chairman and the representative 
of the IBP shall hold office for five (5) years, the 
representatives of the PALS and the PALP, for three (3) 
years; and the representative from the ranks of active law 
practitioners and the representative of the law students' 
sector, 
for one 
(1) year, 
without 
reappointment.


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Appointments to any vacancy shall be only for the 
unexpired portion of the term of the predecessor.
The Chairman and regular members of the Board shall 
have the same salary and rank as the Chairman and 
members, 
respectively, 
of 
the 
Constitutional 
Commissions; Provided, That their salaries shall not be 
diminished during their term of office.
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SEC. 3. Appropriations. -  Such amounts as may be necessary to implement this Act
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shall be included in the next succeeding General Appropriations Act.
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SEC. 4. Separability Clause. Should any provision of this Act be declared invalid, the
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remaining provisions shall continue to be valid and subsisting.
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SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, or administrative orders, rules
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and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby
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amended, repealed or modified accordingly.
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SEC. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
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the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,