22/10/2025
#๐๐๐๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ง | ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐: ๐
๐๐๐-๐ญ๐จ-๐
๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ
What started out as a pandemic learning modality experiment has now become the new โnormโ in every Filipino law studentโs life. The Legal Education Boardโs (LEB) ever-evolving policies have left law students caught in a debate that goes beyond mere tradition and convenienceโface-to-face or online law school?
Online law classes have opened up a lot of opportunities, particularly to a large percentage of working individuals (52%), women (57%), many of whom have to manage jobs, take care of, or worry about household earnings. It has proved to be the saving grace of many. Just ask law students at Arellano University School of Law, and youโll likely hear responses like, โOnline classes saved me both time and money,โ especially when youโre trying to bill the hours while studying Criminal Law at 1.5x speed during work breaks. This modality didnโt just move traditional law classes into virtual ones; it also influenced the digitization of Bar Exams in the Philippines.
However, online learning still has its flaws: unstable internet, endless distractions, lack of motivation, and obviously, reduced interaction. A study shows that only a third of students had a stable internet connection, and two-thirds of them resided in regions where fewer than 20% of households have Wi-Fi connections, highlighting the digital divide. Although 86% had access to gadgets, the other 13% had to borrow, which complicated the learning process worse (Dimaano, 2020).
Face-to-face classes, on the other hand, are the closest thing to practicing law without actually practicing law- the professors grill you alive in classes, and recits are like a court trial. It cultivates camaraderie and discipline in ways an online class could never do. But this comes at a cost: braving Manilaโs rush hours, higher expenses, physical burnout, juggling packed schedules, and even palpitations while waiting to be cold-called.
The verdict? Well, it's clear as day that online law classes are here to stay, but there is a pressing need for us to improve our online systems and resources. Philippine law schools must adapt and enforce stricter academic discipline and utilize technology to streamline their enforcement. In comparison, if face-to-face learning remains the preferred modality, schools must address its financial and logistical barriers so it does not become a privilege reserved for the few.
Ultimately, the Bar Exam will not ask whether you studied through Zoom or Room RH 101. It will not care how many hours you spent in an FX or the library, how many times your Wi-Fi lagged during recitation, or whether your codals were open during your online class. Whether you log in or walk into class, the standard should remain the same: a legal education that challenges, equips, and prepares every student to uphold the rule of law.
SOURCES:
Dimaano, A. M. (2020, April 17). Responding to a pandemic: Refocusing on welfare, quality of learning, and reducing inequalities in legal education [Policy paper]. Legal Education Board, Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved from http://leb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LEB-Policy-Paper-on-the-Pandemic-Response-1.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1lbPhd3g6eXvMwJWL_dDdPIOTiwF_3MqCl0g51DieGddmLvET6usbxePM
Written by Angela T. Estillore
Artcard by RK Peralta
