UB College of Law prepares to offer an enhanced law curriculum

The University of Bohol College of Law is preparing to offer an enhanced law curriculum by sending four of its faculty members to Graduate School of Law this first semester, school year 2009-2010.

Judge Jennifer Chavez-Marcos, Judge Laebeth L. Varquez, Judge Helen T. Cabatos, and Atty. Godfrey Tubo will enroll in the Master of Laws Program in San Beda College. The LLM program of the said school is one of the best LLM programs offered by few graduate schools of law in the Philippines. To earn the degree, the student must either write a law book or a thesis which must examine prevailing doctrines in law or make proposals for the amendment or revision of a particular law.

Judge Marcos, who pioneered the use of multi-media education in the teaching of law in the College, is the presiding judge of MCTC Dimiao-Valencia. Judge Varquez, a cum laude graduate of Silliman University College of Law, is the presiding judge of the 3rd MCTC-Inabanga-Buenavista. Judge Cabatos, an experienced state prosecutor who has later joined the judiciary, is now the presiding judge of MCTC Tubigon-Clarin while Atty. Tubo who has an extensive background in philosophy is presently working as Public Attorney II at Public Attorney’s Office in Tagbilaran City.

The aforementioned faculty members will enjoy tuition fee subsidy from University of Bohol as part of its faculty development program. Presently, the Dean of the College of Law, Atty. Gregorio B. Austral, CPA who is a full recipient of the said program of the university is now working on his thesis in taxation and corporate law and is expected to earn his LLM degree by the end of the school year.

All these on-going efforts of the University are part of its long-term plan to offer an enhanced law curriculum which will be patterned after the Juris Doctor degree program now offered in many universities in the UK and in the US, and in very few law schools in the Philippines. The basic difference between the present Bachelor of Laws degree currently offered by the College is that the Juris Doctor degree requires the students not just to memorize and apply legal provisions and established jurisprudence but to critically evaluate or even challenge established precedents in law through a thesis.

It is noteworthy to mention that two of the faculty members of the College are already masteral degree holders in related fields. Atty. Dodelon F. Sabijon, a professor in criminal law, is a holder of a Master of Science in Criminology degree while Atty. Carlos Ceasar C. Castillo, a board topnotcher in Forestry, has a Master in Public Administration degree from Cebu Normal University.

The UB College of Law continues to innovate to provide excellent academic preparations for the future lawyers. UB always believe that supporting faculty development will also contribute in producing quality graduates. Aside from this, UB continues to provide law students the best facilities like air-conditioned classrooms utilized for its law classes.