Ateneo College of Law
ESTABLISHMENT
Through Board Resolution No. 2016-10 issued on February 20, 2016, the Ateneo de Naga University Board of Trustees approved the establishment of our College of Law. Upon due application pursuant to Republic Act No. 7662, or the Legal Education Reform Act of 1993, the Legal Education Board approved our program through its Letter of November 16, 2016. Thereafter, we obtained our Certificate of Government Permit on April 20, 2017 to finally open our College of Law. Classes formally started on June 13, 2017. On April 12, 2022, the Supreme Court announced that our pioneer batch composed of twenty-six (26) bar candidates obtained one hundred percent (100%) bar passing rate with six (6) obtaining exemplary performance.
MISSION
As a Catholic school, the Ateneo de Naga College of Law is committed to making in an institutional manner its Christian presence in the legal world by fidelity to the Christian message of faith and by its service to others, especially the underprivileged.
As a Jesuit institution, the Ateneo de Naga College of Law shares in the mission of all Jesuit institutions for evangelization, which is understood not only as proclamation of the Christian faith but also as life witness to a faith that accomplishes justice, and the mission of reconciliation with God, with one another, and with creation.
As a Filipino school, the Ateneo de Naga College of Law fosters love of country and a deep commitment to the culture of human life and care for creation. It commits itself to contribute to and benefit from global society for the transformation of the Filipino nation, in a special way through the formation of culturally rooted legal practitioners responsive to the needs of the country in the bigger milieu of globalization.
As a law school, the mission of the Ateneo de Naga College of Law is the formation of men and women into lawyers competent in their knowledge of the law, skilled in its practice, and imbued with Ignatian values of justice, personal spirituality and ethical professional service to others.
As a part of the Ateneo de Naga University, the College of Law shall exert its best efforts to support the programs and objectives of the other colleges or departments of the University, particularly in establishing collaborative programs of study in law supportive of the University’s mission and objectives.
Towards the accomplishment of this mission, the Ateneo de Naga College of Law insists on intellectual rigor in the tradition of Jesuit education. Intellectual rigor demands a thorough grasp of the nature and ends of law, the ability to express legal conviction orally and in writing in its practice, and sensitivity to the rule of law as an instrument of service and social transformation.
IGNATIAN LEGAL APOSTOLATE OFFICE (ILAO)
Through Board Resolution No. 2017-17 issued on June 23, 2017, the Ateneo de Naga University Board of Trustees, pursuant to Part II, A (1) of Resolution No. 2015-08 of the Legal Education Board, approved the establishment of the Ignatian Legal Apostolate Office (ILAO). Independently or in affiliation with other institutions and organizations, and with Ignatian values and formation, ILAO aims to provide these services: (a) Experiential Learning or Clinical Legal Education; (b) Free Legal Assistance and Developmental Legal Aid; (c) Mandatory Continuing Legal Education, Bar Refresher, and Bar Review; (d) Human Rights, Rule of Law, and Access to Justice Advocacy; and (e) Legal Research and Publications.
Through ILAO, the College of Law molds practice-ready graduates and Ignatian servant-lawyers who shall contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights, the strengthening of the rule of law and the administration of justice, and the enhancement of access to legal aid for the poor, marginalized and the underserved. ILAO officially opened its services to the public on July 29, 2017. Since its inception, ILAO has scored big wins for its indigent clients and made significant strides in providing direct access to legal aid and services throughout the region.
ILAO provides the unique opportunity for students to directly interact with clients – from doing interviews, giving legal advice and drafting of pleadings, to the actual handling of real-life cases. The client interaction allows students to be immersed in activities that flesh out the theories learned in the classroom. Students learn by doing as they get to live out academic abstractions found in laws, law books and jurisprudence. Keenly accompanied by constant reflection, this pedagogy ensures that students acquire the necessary skills and temperament of an Ignatian lawyer.
ILAO also thrives on its numerous advocacies that not only contribute to the progress of society but also provide holistic formation to students. Anchored on three primary desks – the jail decongestion desk, the environmental desk and the migrant worker’s desk – the advocacies of ILAO are streamlined and expose the students to divergent perspectives and practices.
In partnership with the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation (HLAF), the jail decongestion desk seeks to promote and establish a sustainable program that relieves the congestion of the jails in Bicol. The regular jail visits and paralegal training conducted by students to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) introduce the latter to basic legal concepts, apprise them of their rights and help them understand the criminal justice system. Thus, empowering them to personally fight for their rights.
The environmental desk endeavors to bring to the fore and normalize an acute awareness of the need to preserve our ecosystems and biodiversity, and to engender a sustained pursuit of solutions to the climate crisis through a human rights lens with the aim of creating a more just and equal world for present and future generations.
The migrant worker’s desk sets out to respond to the human rights violations that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are susceptible to like discrimination, exploitation and human trafficking and the many other untold vulnerabilities they face. The migrant worker’s desk aims to maintain a network among government agencies and non-governmental organizations to capacitate law student practitioners to assist migrant workers across the globe.
Under the supervision and guidance of its Director and Resident Attorney, and with the assistance of the office manager, law student practitioners and interns, ILAO stands as the center for public service and social involvement of the College of Law.
COLLEGE OF LAW LIBRARY
The College of Law Library is a separate library from the University Library to cater to the specialized needs of law students, law faculty and other legal practitioner guests. It houses a considerable collection of primary and secondary Philippine and international legal sources in the form of books, periodicals and electronic or online resources, organized systematically and accurately. With its technology driven amenities, comfortable ambience and professional library personnel, the Law Library actively supports the teaching, learning and research activities of its clientele and is a conducive environment for academic work and study.
GUIDANCE SERVICES
The College of Law has a dedicated guidance counselor, who looks after the mental health and emotional well being of law students. The personal and professional development group guidance activities are planned and organized every semester to assist students in their developmental needs. One-on-one counseling services are also available to students.
ADMINISTRATION
The Dean leads, directs, and manages the affairs and services of the College of Law pursuant to Legal Education Board (LEB) policies and instructions from the University President. The Dean is assisted by the Associate Dean for Academics, the ILAO Director, the ILAO Resident Attorney, the administrative staff, the law library staff, and student assistants.
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