The 2013 Bar Examination

BAR BULLETIN NO.  1

Office of the Bar Confidant

Supreme Court of the Philippines

December 7, 2012

1.  Bar Exam Venue:  University of Sto. Tomas, Espana, Manila

2.  Examination Dates:  Four Sundays of October 2013:

October 6:

8 a.m. - 12 noon - Political Law

2 p.m. - 6 p.m.  - Labor Law

October 13:

8 a.m. - 12 noon - Civil Law

2 p.m. - 6 p.m.  – Taxation

October 20:

8 a.m. - 12 noon - Commercial Law

2 p.m. - 6 p.m.  - Criminal Law

October 27:

8 a.m. - 12 noon - Remedial Law

2 p.m.  - 6 p.m  - Legal Ethics

3.  Coverage:  Questions shall strictly fall within the defined Syllabus for every subject.  The Syllabi shall be released through a Bar Bulletin or before December 31, 2012.

The cut-off for  Supreme  Court  decisions  covered  by  the  2013  Bar Examinations shall be January 31, 2013. 2

4.  Exam Structure and Format of Questions

a.  The  Examination  shall  consist  of  20%  Multiple  Choice Questions (MCQ) and 80% Essay-type questions.

b.  Whether MCQ or essay, the questions shall be based on a given set of facts,  presented as  briefly  but as  clearly  and completely as  possible,  taking  into  account  that  every  examinee  needs reading,  understanding,  consideration  of the applicable law, and answering time for every question.

The  whole  examination should  be  answerable  by  the  average bar examinee within  3 .5  hours (210 minutes) to  allow  him  or her 30 minutes of review time.

c.  The basic elements of problem solving that the Examiners shall particularly  look  for  are:  the examinee's  (1)  proper understanding and appreciation of the facts, particularly of the components  or  details  that  can  be  material  in  resolving  the given  problem;  (2)  his  or  her  appreciation  of the  applicable /awls  that may  come  into  play;  (3)  recognition  of the  issues posed;  and the (4) resolution of the issues through the analysis and application of the law to the given facts.  The examinee's presentation and articulation of his  or her answer shall  also  be given weight.

d.  The 20% MCQ portion of the examination shall be divided into 4 or 5 main fact situations from which the MCQ questions shall be asked.

The  80% essay portion of the  exam shall be divided into eight (8)  divisions  of ten  (10)  points each, with  a maximum  of two facts per division from which question shall be drawn.

The  corresponding  weight  of  each  question  shall  properly be  indicated  in  the  questionnaire,  together  with  estimated answering time,  to  allow the  examinee proper allotment of his or her exam time.

5.  Communications

a.  All  administrative  matters  relating  to  the  Bar  Examinations shall  be handled by and shall  be  coursed through the  Supreme Court's  Office  of  the  Bar  Confidant's  (OBC).  All communications should be  addressed to the Office of the Bar Confidant c/o Atty. Tina Layusa, SC Bar Confidant.

b. The OBC can be reached at landline number 5257929; 5268122; 5268119; cellular phone number 09088864293; and by e-mail at  baroffice@sc.judiciary.goy.ph. It holds office  at the Supreme Court, Padre Faura, Manila,  and is  open  at  regular  office  hours  on regular  working  days.  All inquiries regarding the Bar Examinations should be  directed at the OBC. Interested parties are urged to first communicate with the OBC  by phone or by email to determine if the need exists for them to personally go to the OBC.

c.  The  Bar  Confidant  shall  act  as  Spokesperson  for  the  Bar Examinations  and  shall  handle  all  announcements  and relations  with  the  media,  with  the  law  schools,  and  with examinees.  Public announcements  shall  be  through  Bar Bulletins  issued  by  the  OBC  at  the  SC  website:

sc.j udiciary .gov. ph.

Source: http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/bar%20admissions/bulletin/bulletin1.pdf

PNOY may soon appoint two new SC Justices

Associate Justices of the Supreme Court (SC) Conchita Carpio-Morales and Antonio Eduardo Nachura are set to retire this coming June 19 and June 13 respectively.

The impending retirement of the two justices will increase President Noynoy Aquino’s appointees to the Supreme Court making it to a total of three. The first was Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno. Before the appointment of Sereno, all of the 15 Justices which comprise the entire tribunal were appointed by former president Gloria Arroyo.

The Judicial and Bar Council of the Philippines is a constitutionally-created body that recommends appointees for vacancies that may arise in the composition of the Supreme Court and other lower courts.

It is composed of a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector. The Secretary of Justice and a representative of Congress are ex-officio members while the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the ex-officio Chairman. The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall serve as the ex-officio secretary.

SC remands AGP case to HRET

The Supreme Court remanded to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) the petition for disqualification filed by Akbayan Partylist against Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP) partylist representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo because Arroyo has already been proclaimed and taken his oath of office as a member of the House of Representatives. That being the case, the HRET now has the proper jurisdiction over the case.

Half of 2011 bar exams in multiple choice format—Corona

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Starting next year, part of the bar examinations will be in multiple choice format, but this will not necessarily make the test easier, according to Chief Justice Renato Corona.

"Multiple choice questions could be difficult – more rational, not necessarily easier," Corona told reporters at the launching of the Justice on Wheels Mobile Court program here on Wednesday.
Corona confirmed that the Supreme Court, which administers the annual exam, would adopt the changes in the format to be implemented next year under 2011 Bar Examination Committee chairman Associate Justice Roberto Abad.

"We are changing the format of the bar examinations because the present format we are following has been there for more than 100 years already and we feel it is not responsive to the way law should be taught today," Corona said.

The exam will be divided in two parts with the first part in multiple choice format with examinees choosing the best answer among four to five correct answers while the second part will be essay-type to test reasoning, writing and logic abilities.

Asked if the changes were meant to address the low passing rate in the examinations, Corona said this would not necessarily address the problem.

He said the low passing average in the bar exams could be attributed to many factors, including the preparedness of the examinees, handwriting of the bar-takers, reasoning ability and adeptness in expressing themselves in English.

The bar examinations, first held in the country in 1901 with 13 examinees, is among the most anticipated especially because of its traditionally low passing rate.

The exam top notchers usually land jobs in the top law firms in the country.

However, the continued dismal passing rate in the bar examinations has alarmed the Supreme Court and prompted calls for reforms in the country's law schools.

In 2008, the high court lowered the passing rate to 70 percent from 75 percent and the disqualification rate in three subjects (civil, labor and criminal law from 50 percent to 45 percent. This made it possible for 1,289 of the total 5,626 takers (22.91 percent) to hurdle the examinations.

Corona said the bar examinees could still find next year's examination easier because it would be focused and will have limited coverage.

[Previously], "we didn’t know where the examiners will get the questions but [next year] we will be limiting them to the most important subjects," he said.

FROM: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100805-285071/Half-of-2011-bar-exams-in-multiple-choice-formatCorona