Philippine Law School
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The Philippine Law School (PLS), founded in 1915, is the fourth oldest law school in the Philippines. Only the Faculty of Civil Law of the University of Santo Tomas, the Escuela de Derecho (now Manila Law College) and the University of the Philippines, are older. It was among the first law schools to utilize English as its medium of instruction. In its early years, PLS was without question the best private law school in the Philippines.[citation needed]
PLS boasts of having produced one Philippine President, President Carlos P. Garcia, a member of the class of 1923[1] who placed 8th in the Bar Examinations with a rating of 86.60%. Another President, Diosdado Macapagal, was a PLS law student until his sophomore year, but he later transferred to the University of Santo Tomas. The school also produced Senate President Neptali A. Gonzales, a member of the class of 1949 who placed 9th in the Bar Examinations with a rating of 92.50%. That class produced a bar topnotcher, Atty. Anacleto R. Mangaser, who holds the third highest official general average in the history of the Bar Examinations (95.85%). Only Justice Florence Regalado (96.7%) and Atty. Renato L. dela Fuente (95.95%), classmates at the San Beda College of Law, obtained higher ratings in the 1954 Bar Examinations.
History
Founded in 1915 by Attys. Simeon and Ricardo Conlu Lacson with a collaboration with Fortunato Jhocson, National University founder, Philippine Law School was established at its first campus in Intramuros, Manila. It serves as the College of Law of National University in Sampaloc, Manila.
Atty Simeon Rene T. Lacson took over as President and oversaw the school's transfer from Intramuros to Pasay City in 1958. He faithfully served the school until his demise in 2009.
Today, Philippine Law School's Board of Trustees is headed by Mr. Vittorio G. Lacson (Chairman), with Ms. Sabina G. Lacson (President/COO) in charge of operations, and Atty. Jose Grapilon as Dean.
With this - the third generation of stewardship of the school and its community - Philippine Law School continues with its proud tradition of helping working law students achieve their highest aspirations through education.
Notable alumni
- Josepha Abiertas was the first woman to graduate from the school.[2]
- Dean Antonio P. Coronel, trial lawyer
- Ambassador León María Guerrero, Former Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador of the Philippines to the Court of Saint James ( United Kingdom), author of The First Filipino, considered the best biography of Jose Rizal In English.
- Ambassador Sedfrey A. Ordoñez, Solicitor General, Secretary of Justice and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, who obtained his Master of Laws from PLS in 1954
- Teodoro "Ka Doroy" F. Valencia, newspaper columnist
- Congressman Manuel A. Zosa, was a class valedictorian. He authored the bills creating the cities of Lapu Lapu and Toledo in Cebu province as well as sponsoring the patriotic Republic act 646, granting legislative charter to the Knights of Rizal.
References
