Note: This post was originally posted on my former blog, LawAndLanguages.xyz .
When the results came out, I was in the middle of writing three articles for work. In the weeks prior to the release, I’ve been asking for extra workload to keep myself busy. April 29, 2020 simply felt like another work day — but with my phone buzzing with notifications all throughout. This continued until the weekend, when I finally had time to myself and let it all sink in.
That weekend was the only time I had to compose mini messages to my professors to thank them for everything they taught us in law school. I wanted all my messages to be heartfelt, so the weekend wasn’t enough to thank all of them. I had to go back to the grind by Monday, after all.
That’s why I decided to dedicate this portion in my blog to thank them exhaustively. By this time, I have completely gathered all my thoughts and hopefully do my message justice.
So here goes:
Judge M. Balmaceda: Without a doubt, my favorite professor in law school. While I was always anxious for his classes, I was also very excited to attend every meeting. You can tell that he’s passionate about teaching, and that’s why he expects the same level of passion from his students.
The way he would ask us questions always made me dig deeper, and I used it as a guide whenever I studied. In fact, I used it when studying for all of my subjects and not just in remedial law.
I resorted to studying smart during my review because of my poor health. If I hadn’t studied that way in law school, I never would have had the strong foundation that helped me pass the Bar. And for that, I am forever grateful.
Additionally, I always enjoyed “Bar Tips Day”. Whenever we’d finish the coverage early, Judge Balmaceda would always share his tips and adventures — and sometimes, misadventures — when he prepared for the Bar. I won’t be sharing the stories in detail, but… Good times, good times. 😂
Also, my greatest achievement in law school was when Judge Balmaceda called me “Jyrevi” instead of the usual “Miss Fernandez”. Only PJ and I were given that honor. 😂
Atty. A. Bron: Aside from all the legal learnings, what struck me most was when Atty. Bron told me, “Miss Fernandez, alagaan mo ang sarili mo kasi baka yan ang makapa-bagsak sayo sa Bar.”
Being sickly all my life, I never considered my asthma and chronic rhinitis to be a disadvantage. People were always considerate, and excusing myself from classes was normal to me.
With that said, Atty. Bron’s statement made me realize three things:
First, I will be reviewing in Manila, where pollution and heat indices are high. This is a huge asthma risk;
Second, I will be away from the comfort of home and the care of my parents. I can’t ask my dorm buddies to take care of me because they also have to review for the Bar; and
Third, the Bar will be held in November — which is right in the middle of asthma season. I cannot ask the SC to give me a special exam just because I was too sick to attend one Sunday (or two!).
That’s when I decided to focus on my health. The goal was to become a lawyer, and to do so, I had to make it through all four Sundays.
Asthma demands getting enough rest, so I had to quit pulling all-nighters. I knew I had to rely on my law school foundation; and thankfully, Judge Balmaceda and Atty. Bron really hammered the laws to us when we were in fourth year.
Additionally, who could forget Atty. Bron’s pre-discussion lectures? One of my favorites was when he told us about playing up our strengths when we had weaknesses. He always complimented my handwriting, so I played that up. Even as my hand was racing against time, magayon man po guiraray su surat ko.😂
And even when I felt my world fall apart during the exam in Taxation, I was able to pull myself together and not be disheartened. Atty. Bron always joked about his dislike for Tax, and that made me realize: if Atty. Bron became a great lawyer even without liking Tax, why can’t I?
I know I’m far from becoming a respected lawyer like Atty. Bron, but it’s nice to have someone like him to look up to.
PS: I am always jumpy around Judge Balmaceda and Atty. Bron because I’m always in awe of them. Starstruck ba. I really look up to both of them, and I hope to be as respected as they are someday.
Atty. M. Castillo: Even before I entered law school, I was already fascinated by businesses and investments. I forgot about it for a while, but it was rekindled when I was finally under Atty. Castillo’s class.
Her motherly nature made what seems to be a complicated subject more bearable. And the fact that she gave a lot of examples to help us visualize the processes made me love Corpo even more.
Her exams were killers, too. I will never forget the day when she told us to prepare for a short quiz – only to find myself consuming around 6 pages of yellow paper! But with each exam she gave, you get a practical idea of what the law is trying to say. So, I’m not complaining. 😉
I am grateful for Atty. Castillo’s relaxed teaching style. It was a breath of fresh air in law school, and that made me look forward to every meeting (that, and all the interesting examples).
Judge C. Bona: My story with Judge Bona is different. He’s a family friend of ours for the longest time – even before I was born. Because of that, he would always make it clear that I was receiving no special treatment.
But in my case, I was always pressured during his classes. I didn’t want him to tell my parents, “ang aki nindo, sige man sanang paki-date” so I had to work double time for every subject he handled. And he handled a lot – which is great because I had to study twice as hard on subjects ranging from Special Contracts to Private International Law.
He was also the one who kept telling my mom to support my law school education. And for that, I will always be grateful.
Atty. E. Zaragoza-Ventura: Like Judge Bona, Atty. Ventura is my Dad’s friend. She was also my Friendster buddy from back in the day, and we knew each other during her college thesis days.
When I found out that she was going to be my professor, I felt the pressure. She knew me since my Backstreet Boys-obsessed phase, and I didn’t want that “image” to be my permanent law school image.
Admittedly, legal writing was not my forte (ironic, right?). I had no idea what a jurat was, or how it was to write a legal opinion (very different from what I used to write for the Universitarian, apparently 🤣). So my first encounter with her wasn’t me at my best, LOL.
She became my professor again for Negotiable Instruments, and I felt the pressure once more. But fortunately, this was a Merc subject, which I actually like. She had a different teaching style for Nego, and it really worked for me.
She asked questions that would gauge whether you read the assignment, whether you understood it, and whether you can apply your learnings with a practical approach.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed Nego and its intricacies. 😅 And much of that can be attributed to Atty. Ventura.
Pros. Barrameda: When I was in my first year in law school, criminal law was never my favorite. All the elements of each crime were too much for me to memorize, and I guess I simply did not have the “criminal mind” to be imaginative about it.
Then came Pros. Barrameda in our second semester. Armed with only his RPC codal and folding spectacles, he would come to class with so many examples based on his experience as a prosecutor. He was very calm and insightful, and was admittedly a breath of fresh air from all the terrorizing in law school.
Still, I don’t think I’ll ever be a criminal lawyer in the future 😅.
Pros. N. Barbastro (+): Despite only meeting us two or three times, she taught us how to really dig into cases when we’re reading them. What you think is an irrelevant statement is actually an important one, and she’d stitch them all together by the end of the recitation period. She also showed us how competent she was at cross examining witnesses through our graded recitations.
Unfortunately, she left us too soon. But even then, she still remains to be one of my favorite law professors.
Atty. MA Zamora: Of course, there’s Atty. Zamora. Admittedly, I lied to her during the interview when she asked me if I wanted to become a lawyer. At that time, I really wanted to become a Foreign Service Officer – and I believed that being familiar with our laws would be an advantage to when I finally take the FSOE. I had no intention of taking the bar at all.
Luckily, she was one of our professors in first year. With each meeting, she would share her experiences as a lawyer, and that made me grow more interested in the profession.
Being the dean, she had to interview us during enrolment. And with every enrolment leading to our final semester in law school, she always inspired me to be a great lawyer. Eventually, my dream of becoming an FSO faded, and was replaced with that of being a lawyer. So a great deal of me becoming a lawyer is thanks to her.
To all my professors: I may not have named each of you on this list, but know that I am grateful for all the lessons I’ve learned. Each subject served as a stepping stone to passing the bar, and the fact that I passed is enough testimony to how great you are as educators. I am truly grateful.
And with that, I hope to see you all in court some day.
Atty. J. M. A. Fernandez