Good luck, Barristers!

The most difficult professional licensure examination in the world kicks off today where 6,533 law graduates are to take the 2008 Bar examinations for the four Sundays of September at the De La Salle University in Manila (DLSU). The 2008 bar examination is the 107th bar examination since the first bar exam held in 1901. The exam is exclusively administered by the Supreme Court of the Philippines through the Supreme Court Bar Examination Committee pursuant to Article VIII, Sec. 5 of the Constitution which provides that it shall have the power to promulgate rules governing the admission to the practice of law.

Last year’s bar exam, which produced good and interesting lawyers like Attys. Rax and Macka, is said to be one of the most difficult bar exams ever given by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had to adjust the passing grade to 70% and the disqualification rate in 3 subjects (civil, labor and criminal law) from 50 to 45% because only 5% of the 5,626 who took the 2007 tests (or less than 300) got the passing grade of 75%. The 2007 bar exam has also the distinction of having the lowest topnotcher grade, obtained by Mercedita L. Ona of ADMU (83.55%) which erased the prior record of 84.10% obtained by Adolfo Brillantes in 1920.

I wish all 2008 barristers good luck!