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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC justice to law graduates: 'Uphold integrity, moral authority in legal profession"

SC justice to law graduates: 'Uphold integrity, moral authority in legal profession"

Published Jun 18, 2025 03:29 pm
Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan has challenged law graduates to uphold integrity and moral authority to help change the public’s perceptions of distrust and corruption in the legal profession.
Justice Gaerlan was the guest of honor and speaker during the recent graduation ceremony at the Manila Hotel for over 500 law graduates of the Arellano University School of Law.
He explained that raising the bar goes beyond simply following rules. “It means being the lawyer who returns calls promptly, who explains complex legal concepts in terms clients can understand, who charges fairly for services rendered.”
He also said: “It means being the lawyer who takes pro bono cases not because it is required, but because justice shouldn’t be a luxury only the wealthy can afford.”
He reminded the law graduates how their acts as lawyers affect the public’s perception of the entire legal community.
Then, he pointed out to the law graduates who will soon become full-pledged lawyers: “So be the lawyer who makes other lawyers proud to be associated with you. Show the public what lawyers can be at their finest.”
He also told them: The Constitution you have studied is not just a legal document; it is a promise to the Filipino people – a promise of social justice, of equal protection under the law, of human rights that cannot be abridged. Every time you practice law, you have the opportunity to help fulfill that promise.”
Also present during the Manila Hotel ceremony were retired SC Associate Justice and Arellano Law Foundation (ALF) Chairman Jose C. Reyes, Jr., ALF Vice Chairman Francisco P.V. Cayco, AUSL Dean Domingo M. Navarro, AUSL Assistant Dean and Director for Admissions lawyer Erik C. Lazo, and ALF Executive Director lawyer Gabriel P. dela Peña.
The Arellano University was founded in 1938. It was named after the first Filipino Chief Justice Cayetano S. Arellano.
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