Ngayon ko lang nakita ang iskulturang yelo na ito nang tiningnan ko ang friendster groups ng Batch namin ng Law. Kuha ito sa Manila Hotel sa buffet table. Hindi ko ito nakita, o malamang, nakita ko man, hindi ko napansin dahil mga ngarag moments namin.

Tulad ng mga ganyang bagay, madami kameng hindi na-appreciate dahil sa kasagsagan ng aming mga utak dahil sa pagod, takot at kaba. At ngayon ko lang na-appreciate na may nag-effort na gumawa ng ganito para lang sa amin.

Heto ang isa sa mga masasayang moments sa bar, isang buong batch nagkakainan, tumatambay sa poolside, tawanan, iyakan, takutan... yung best and worst namin lumabas.

Nabalitaan kong na-stroke si Dean Benips habang nagle-lecture sa Iloilo. Pinagdadasal kong gumaling siya, kasama ng laksa-laksa niyang mga mag-aaral dahil kailangan siya ng Facultad de Derecho Civil. Kailangan namin siya na bilang sandigan sa panahong kame ay kukuha na ng oath namin. We are not only making ourselves proud, but also The Honorable Justice and Former Solicitor General, our Dean, if we pass the bar.

This is a great man. He has plenty to share with the future lawyers and law students. He must recover from his stroke. His presence and his thundering voice, like that of grand paterfamilias evokes both kindness and discipline; He must recover. Thus:

WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed that our petition be granted. Such other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for.

The City of Malabon for the City of Heaven, February 23, 2008.

psycho judge

think of a hybrid between bella flores and celia rodriguez, with that classic filipino movie villanous laugh.

that's judge C.S.A.V., fuunny though how she makes 'sindak' with all the accused and the lay people. she makes sindak likewise with the lawyers (and me, a non-lawyer making a special appearance for a simple resetting of a criminal case due to an amicable settlement between my client and the accused)

and then everybody whom she shouts at, especially the guys, before exiting the court room, she would laugh, and say in a loud voice, "I LOVE YOU!!!!"

crazy really... but i guess that's the point of it all... we have the talent of reading between the lines. she ain't really that psycho. she's still a good person deep down. taklesa nga lang siya. for sure, she's not the epitome of impartiality and the majesty of the robe, but for as long as justice will be served (anyways, as shown by her orders on record, she is actually 'charitable' to the litigants, whether private complainants, the people or the accused.)

my first court appearance in over two years started with a bang...

so perhaps the next time i would appear before her sala, anyways, i'm already on record, I can absolutely say... "Your Honor, I am now authorized to appear. I'm an attorney now."

Then we'll probably laugh like psychos too.

pangarap

two weeks na ko sa Arcinas & Arcinas Law. Ok naman. Masaya dahil kaunti pa work ko, tapos sa 3rd floor ay show room ng Yonex at pwedeng bumili ng discount up to 70%. madaming kainan sa mismong retiro, at malapit pa ang banawe. kung tutuusin parang pinaghalong Ongpin at Jupiter street ang Retiro, kung kaya tinawag ang area nito na Chinatown ng QC. sa bandang la loma ay nakahilera ang mga lechon. dito daw nagsimula ang mga "Big Names" na law firms bago pa man sumikat ang Escolta pagkatapos ng pangalawang digmaang pandaigdig, at bago pa man nagsilipatan sila sa Makati.

sa ngayon ang ginagawa ko eh pawang puro pleadings. naiisip ko tuloy na hinahasa ako para sa litigation. Litigation lawyer. Wow. sana naman makabuo ako ng korporasyon, matutunan ko man lamang yun at makaipon ng substansyal na halaga eh magtatayo na kame ng sarili naming kalakal ng mga barkada ko. hindi malayong ang aking propesyonal na buhay ay malalaan sa tatlong bagay... ang batas, kalakas, at pagtuturo. sa ngayon bibitawan ko muna ang pangarap kong lumuklok sa kataas-taasan hukuman o sa Office ng Solicitor General (syet. I love the sound of that... "The Solicitor General, for the public respondents. Petition for Review on Certiorari.")

balang araw gusto ko muling mag-aral at magkaruon ng MBA, LL.M, DCL, o Ph.D. ewan natin. gusto ko rin mag-aral sa Madrid ng Leyes Civil Castillano. Gusto ko ring mag-aral ng wikang pranses, italiano, mandarin, hookien at portuges.

ang dami kong pangarap. masarap mangarap.

msarap ang mangarap...

The Practice

On February 4, I got to sign my contract and started my first job as a legal assistant / researcher at this Law Firm, currently composed of two senior partners and a young female associate, plus two of us paralegals.

I am now handling four cases, three of which are active, one is already in the appellate court, one in the regional trial court, on in the QCBAA, one in the demand level.

My first boss, the most senior one, B.G.A. is already retired, a graduate of UP Law and Universidad de Madrid, whilst the managing partner, J.R.A. is a blue-blooded Atenista, UP Law graduate and has a master's from Universitas Bostoniensis de la Republicae Americanae.

Yeah, the opening theme of Boston Legal keeps ringing in my mind, since it is my message alert tone. But so far, I'm fully enjoying being back into 'this' life.

JRA aptly describes his firm as a 'California-style' law firm. It has a very relaxed atmosphere. It used to have several associates, at least five more at a given time. Our clients are mostly corporations owned by Chinese or Spanish tycoons, churches, schools and several other individuals with most cases involving settlement of estates. We have a complete library of law books and Supreme Court Reports Annotated, and Corpus Juris Secundum, Words and Phrases and AmJur. Their family likwise owns several corporations including franchises of a cake shop and a luxury car dealership.

My bosses are kind and good-natured. They are not ill-mannered and evil like those I've heard from the large makati firms where the paralegals are treated like serfs, and they the kings. Plus, the staff have said that every paralegal who worked there passed the bar. And I hope the chain wouldn't be broken.

Bearing that in mind, I am now unofficially beginning The Practice of Law.