BLOCK A PRIMER

GENERAL OVERVIEW of the YEAR:

First sem is adjustment period and the hardest for block A. You have “The Big 3” (Cande, Vallente, Sta. Maria) and you will be under so much pressure. But don’t fret, you will learn how to cope. It’s just a matter of learning early.

Classes start in the morning at 8am, Monday to Friday, so try to make a schedule that would work for you (ex: class 8-1pm, sleep 2-4pm, study 4-7, dinner break, continue studying 9pm-12mn) But this varies per person. Adjust to what you feel comfortable and most productive with. BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO SLEEP. No matter what. Your brain will not work in the morning if you always lack sleep.

It’s not advisable to go out. Sacrifice your time first to adjust and study. You can party afterwards when you get the hang of it. Time management and priorities are very crucial because you can get kicked out after the first semester if you don’t handle it wisely.

Failing your midterms under the Big 3 doesn’t mean it’s the end of law school for you. It happens ALL THE TIME. Make sure you show your professors that you are striving to do well aka do better in the finals.

Cases under Consti will be very heavy. Do not go to class without knowing all the assigned cases.

Use the core subjects to pull up your grades. Do not treat them are irrelevant. It might be your saving grace.

Take advantage of free cuts/holidays/typhoon and read in advance. Don’t be afraid to recite. Practice at home. Give extra importance to Persons because it’s 4 units.

During 2nd sem, we had no classes every Wednesday but we had Saturday class. You’ll be better in 2nd sem because you know what the profs are looking for

already in your recits, exams, etc. You will be more confident in your recits. You will read and understand cases faster.

Case load is heavy in 2nd sem for Consti as well. Focus on Oblicon because it’s 5 units. Aim for 90 + in core subjects. It really is doable. This is the time to pull up your

qpi especially if you end up in probation after the 1st semester.

WORK AS A BLOCK. MAKE BLOCK DIGESTS. DO NOT PULL EACH OTHER DOWN. SHARE REVIEWERS. BE A FAMILY

Subject: Consti 1

Professor:Atty. Abad Gamo/Dean Candelaria

Teaching Style:

- purely recit on cases and the primer. There are some cases where you have to look at the footnotes to answer her question but it usually happens once or twice only. - recit flow is usually based on how attendance is checked, first one she calls is first to recite. If she finishes the deck, she shuffles. But it depends on what part of the syllabus you are in because she randomly shuffles in the middle of the sem.- she asks about current events also/general knowledge - read the cases carefully and know which parts of the case she would ask, she also asks to compare cases that are similar-always go for this formula: FACTS, ISSUE, RULING- she’s generally a nice person so if you do well in recit, you’re on her good side.- at the end of the sem, she has a group project that pulls up your grades. Make sure you do well and go all OUT! (One group did a showtime segment, make it FUN and at the same time effective in presenting the lesson)- Less than 10 students usually fail in her class, some intentionally drop it.- she emails you before finals if you’re in the lower half or upper half of the class so you know your standing.-Dean Candelaria substituted for her a couple of times. His recits are usually faster than Atty. Abad Gamo’s but more in depth. He asks the questions right away.- Know the landmark cases BY heart. These are the cases assigned during intro to law: 1. Rubi v. Provincial Board of Mindoro [39 PHIL 660]2. Co Kim Chan v. Valdez Tan Keh [74 PHIL 113]3. Republic v. Sandiganbayan G.R No. 104768 July 21, 2003,4. Cruz v. SEC of DENR [GR 135385 Dec. 6 2000]5. Province of North Cotabato v. GRP Panel [[564 SCRA 402]6. Imbong v. Hon. Ochoa [GR 204819 April 8 2014]7. Belgica v. Hon. Ochoa et al. [GR 208566 Nov. 19 2013]8. Disini v. Secretary of Justice et al. [GR 203335 Feb 18 2014] and Disini Motion for Reconsideration [april 2014]

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- Green Book: Fr. Bernas Commentary- Bernas’ primer - Block 1A 2014-2015 Consti case digests, Block D digests

Grade Range:- recit grades:

o if absent = 60o if present but cannot answer/pass = 70o her recit grades range from 75-85

- grade breakdown: 40% recit, 20% midterms, 40% finals

Preparation for:Recitations:- FACTS, ISSUE, HELD recite in a fluid manner, like a story- Memorize provisions

- Usually covers 25 cases but can go up to 40 if the pace is fast in the middle of the sem

- Read cases in originals- Make a block digest because it helps during recit to refresh your memory

Midterms:- Usually does not repeat questions - MCQ and essay- Questions are related to current events- Helpful to answer and check samplex with answers so you know what kind of

answer gets full points

Finals:- MCQ and essay- Questions are related to current events- Questions are usually not repeated

Subject: Persons and Family Relations

Professor:- Atty. Mel Sta. Maria

Teaching Style:- Recitation is purely by the book- Socratic method- He’ll give you examples that you need to answer, sometimes he asks you to

recite cases from his book- Recit is in rounds so you wont be called again unless he finishes with the

whole block. Make each recit count.- He’s a finalist so make sure you pass the finals. Even if you get as low as 30

in the midterms, if you get a 75 in the finals, you will pass his class.- He uses words like “that’s JJ” “suntok sa buwan” “suntok sa pluto/blackhole”

when you are not making sense in recit. DON’T PANIC. It’s okay. You’ll get a 3.5 (highest is 1, lowest is 4) for that, depending on how bad you did. But it seems like he purposely does this durig the first day/week of recit.

- Do well in the Moot, he gives bonus recit grades if you win

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- Persons and Family Relations by Atty. Mel Sta. Maria

Grade Range:- He can give as low as line of 60’s, DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN- Average is 70-78

Preparation for:Recitations:- Read his book, more than twice if you can- Do not skip the lesson just because you got called already, you will get lost

and you will not be able to recover- Avoid backlog- Recite with conviction.- He will try to confuse you during recitation. Stick to your gut feel. Do not let

him rattle you.

Midterms:-100% essay- review simplexes- exam difficulty: 9.8/10- you will most likely fail but it IS possible to pass

Finals:- 100% essay, comprehensive so read the book again start to end- review simplexes- PASS HIS FINALS.- Usually there’s a bonus so there’s a bigger chance of passing- If you fail this, you will take the subject again- Finals is 50% of your grade

Subject: Criminal Law 1

Professor:- Atty. Giovanni Vallente

Teaching Style:- remember to put your gadgets into silent mode or turn it off! he might walk out if he hears any gadget- keep quiet! he might also walk out of class or give everyone 70s for recit if he hears anyone talking or even looking at your seatmate’s book- he usually shuffles the index cards after he calls attendance but he (sometimes) separates those who have already recited last meeting- the discussion for the first few articles may take more time than you think- As he says, he is a father first before a lawyer/professor so he skips classes to make time for his family but he makes sure that he holds make-up classes

- Near the end of the semester, there may be joint classes with other block/s he teaches to make up faster for the class meetings he missed.

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- Criminal Law book 1 by Reyes- San Beda Reviewer

Grade Range:-Recitation grades: 60-absent, 70-pass, 82-89 -average, seldom gives 90s- 1/3, recit, 1/3 midterms, 1/3 finals-if you pass his finals, you will pass his class

Preparation for:Recitations:

- closed book recitation but you can read when you are not yet called- random recitation via index card pick- usually calls one person per provision, memorize the provisions- he usually asks first the codal provision, then the elements (if any) or the

commentaries (see recommended sources) and then a situational question. There are times he would just ask the codal provision especially if it is long.

- lots of follow-up questions which either leads you to the answer he wants or just another idea

- usually asks for examples not in the book- usually asks definitions of important terms not defined in the (Reyes) book- When he thinks you are not ready, he would let you answer his last question and

then lets you sit down. He generally does not embarrass any student.

Midterms:- questionnaire is 15-25 pages - usually 20 points MCQs and 80 points essay questions- some MCQs might come from sample exams- long essay questions with lots of facts (both unnecessary and necessary) so

manage your time well. Concentrate only on the relevant facts and what is being asked.

- essay questions may be based on current events or cases already discussed in class

- he really reads your answers because your bluebooks would have lots of comments and markings

- essays would merit at least 1 point unless you did not write anything- coverage is usually until Art.14- he always reminds students to write legibly! - tips: Ace the MCQs; Answer everything- memorize elements and provisions

Finals:

- usually raw scores of most students would not reach 75 so he curves the grades but he can still fail students.

- Memorize elements and provisions

Subject: Statutory Construction

Professor:- Fr. Ferrer

Teaching Style- Usually joint with block B- assigns a case per person that you have to recite on (so that’s two people, 1

from A and 1 from B)- he will divide the questions between the two of you (like during what era it

happened, where in the map is the location, facts of the case, ruling)- he will call from the class cards a person to recite the latin maxim applicable to

the case (latin maxim need not be memorized, he will give you a copy of it)- if that person is wrong, he calls again from the deck- make sure you always get the right latin maxim because you get called rarely- prepare catchy phrases for your case that would make him/the class remember

the gist of your case- its very hard to understand his teaching style and to guess the latin maxims per

case but you will get the hang of it

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- Assigned chapters in the Agpalo book- Latin Maxim List- Reviewer from 2A or 3A

Grade Range:- if 80s- no breakdown of grades

Preparation for:Recitations:- prepare your case- study the latin maxims

Midterms:- practice using the maxims in the cases- repeats cases assigned in class

Finals:- practice using the maxims in the cases- read the book- repeats cases assigned in class

Subject: Legal Research

Professor:- Atty. Sitaca and Atty. Libunao

Teaching Style:- powerpoint- usually joint with other blocks, it depends- lots of free cuts- recits are usually about the powerpoint

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- no book, use the ppt

Grade Range:- 80-90’s

Preparation for:Recitations:

- study assigned materials- do not neglect this subject, even in recit only

Midterms:- memorize powerpoints, handouts, readings- midterms is fill in the blanks, modified T or F, modified matching type and essay

Finals:- do well in your final project. This will raise your grade and qpi.

Subject: Legal Profession

Professor:- Atty. Patricia Poco

Teaching Style:- She assigns the readings in advance - Socratic method- Assigns cases for you to read but they’re not so heavy

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- reading materials from her

Grade Range:- mid 80s to 90

Preparation for:Recitations:

- MEMORIZE THE LAWYER’S OATH, you will recite it every meeting and it will come out in the exam- recite the case the same way you would recite a consti case but focus on the lesson in legprof- sometimes she makes you recite in groups so you must recite the lawyer’s oath together, or if it’s a case, she picks who recites the facts, stops her then lets the others continue-she gives bonus questions usually about the world cup or current events

Midterms:- memorize pertinent parts of the reading materials she assigned- memorize ppt slides- only 6 people passed her midterms last year, the mean was 62 but she curved it

Finals:- do well in the final report- be as creative and effective

Subject: Philosophy of Law

Professor:

Atty. Eugenio Villareal

Teaching Style:- Read his materials.- Some of his questions might sound out of this world especially if you didn’t read the material. He gives you 5 seconds to answer his question then calls another person.- He usually gives group reports/projects- Don’t get on his bad side.- He’s a very friendly teacher outside of class. He likes basketball/uaap!! Haha

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- the reading materials that he will leave with your beadle

Grade Range:- 75- 80

Preparation for:Recitations:

- Read the readings. - during recitation, if the person before you cant answer, control F for the answer already in your laptop/ipad

Midterms/Finals:- his written exams are impossible to pass. The usual grade is 40-50 but don’t worry, he curves. He picks 1 written exam and 1 project. So it will depend if you’ll have written midterms or finals.

- the other exam is orals by group. The trick is to dissect the readings (get from 2A beadle for sample) and compare the different theories and how they apply to certain situations. Everyone must know how to answer whatever question he has.

2 nd SEM

Subject: Consti 2

Professor:- Atty. Diana Wilwayco

Teaching Style:- Socratic method- Case load is heavy, you can recite up to 2 times in a meeting. The usual number

of cases covered in 1 hour classes is 15. 30-40 cases during 2 hour classes. - She gives summary lectures for each Article. Take down notes!- Sometimes she gives voluntary recit. Take advantage of this so you get an

automatic good recit. - Make a block digest to help you remember the cases during recit. - During voluntary recit, the person assigned to digest the case usually recites that

case.

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- Primer- CROMBONDS

Grade Range:- 80s-

Preparation for:Recitations:

- Formula: FACTS, ISSUE, HELD- She asks certain details from the case like, “What was the name of the restaurant where the fight took place?” or “What was the model of the car?”- She grades high during recit so TAKE ADVANTAGE and RECITE WELL- she shuffles recit cards and picks randomly so you never know if you’re next or not or how many times you’ll be able to recite. You can get called every meeting or be called only 5 times the whole semester

Midterms:- Cite provisions and cases to support your answer- Remember ALAC in writing your answer: Answer, Law/Provision to support your answer, Analysis (apply the law to the facts of the case), Conclusion (Reiterate Yes/No, Valid/Invalid)- memorize classification tests/requisites - more doable than finals- Essay questions

Finals:- Stick to ALAC. Everything is purely essay. - The final exam last year was departmental. A lot of questions were from the latter part of the syllabus even if there was no thorough discussion on it. Do not leave out anything, study everything.

Subject: Crim 2

Professor:- Atty. Giovanni Vallente

Teaching Style:- Same with Crim 1

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- Criminal Law II by Reyes- Criminal Law II by Estrada (for examples)- San Beda Reviewer on Criminal Law

Grade Range:- Same with Crim 1

Preparation for:Recitations:- same with Criminal Law I- usually relates questions with current events- at the latter part of the semester, he would ask you to compare some crimes

(even those not yet discussed)

Midterms:- same with Criminal Law I- essays questions are usually based on current events/ undecided or recently

decided criminal cases - coverage is usually until Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act

Finals:- like midterms but the coverage is until the end even if you did not finish the

whole Book Two of the RPC in class

Subject: Legal Writing

Professor:- Atty. Diana Wilwayco

Teaching Style:- She’ll give a lecture on how to do citation, and everything you need for the sem

so take down notes- Usually gives lots of free cuts and switches/uses sched with consti- There’s always homework so make sure you do well in them- Recitation is usually very light, consists of sharing experiences (ex: what did you

do for valentine’s day, what are commonly misspelled/misused words so recite a lot during these times)

-Recommended Books/Reviewers:

- No book, just notes from her lectures

Grade Range:- High 80’s

Preparation for:Recitations:

- Be bibbo!

Midterms:- A lot failed her midterms because of not following instructions, make sure you READ carefully. It’s relatively an easy exam. Just remember how to cite and how to write a demand letter. Highest was 87. Lowest was 48 due to failure to follow the instructions. But she curves.

Finals:- It was a legal memorandum tied up with our legal technique class. Basically you follow the format that you’ve been doing in assignments. She’s generous with this. She gives high 80’s-90’s

Subject: Oblicon

Professor:- Atty. Filray Javier

Teaching Style:- Socratic method- Recite by the book + assigned cases

- Sometimes he does lectures- He appears to be very strict and intimidating at first but eventually throughout the

sem, you will see his good side and even develop a crush on him. HAHAHA- He’s very smart and he will make you second guess your answer during

recitation. Do not let it rattle you.- You can get called as much as 5 times in 1 meeting. Or you can get called only 3

times for the whole sem. Or 28 times if your card seems to his favorite to pick randomly.

- Usually, in a meeting you recite the assigned sections and then recite the cases during the last 15 mins of the class. But he may also ask about a case in between you reciting the provisions. Depends on his mood. But be ready. Besides the case load isn’t that heavy so make sure you read everything. Block digest will suffice.

- You have a fishbowl recit at the end of the sem. You have to memorize 100 + provisions. (it sounds crazy but it IS doable and it will be good review for the finals) You will pick an Article number from the fishbowl and recite it. Start memorizing as early as you can. This is equivalent to 6 recit grades or 7, whichever you choose. He will explain the mechanics to you.

- This subject is 5 units to it will make or break you.

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- De Leon- Paras- Read both books if you can- Labitag/Karichi Reviewer- 2A case digests

Grade Range:- Spread out, he can give as high as 87 but he fails students too.

Preparation for:Recitations:

- Understand the book. You don’t have to memorize the provisions first. But you must understand the provision and the examples- He asks for requisites/elements- You must also be ready to give your OWN examples that aren’t from the book. Modify the examples in the book.- At the beginning of class, he might ask you to wrap up the past lessons. He does this more often in the middle of them or before midterms/finals to test if you comprehensively understand the subject. You should be able to do this!- He gives high grades for recitations, 85 and above if you recite well and even as high as a 100.- You’ll know you recited well if you hear a “very good” from him.- He may or may not let you call a friend if you cant answer his question.- Take note of his questions he asks every start of the meeting during wrap up because these are the things he will always ask

- Listen to the person reciting, he will ask your opinion on the answer if he/she is right or wrong.- In the middle of the sem when the # of recits per person are far from each other, he will segregate those with lots of recits with none. So this is a break for those with lots of recits already. But in reciting the cases, he shuffles them altogether again.

Midterms:- Listen to his examples in class, he uses his examples in his class and modifies them to be part of the exam. - Purely essay- Cite provision verbatim, and apply ALAC.

Finals:- Stick to ALAC. Everything is purely essay. - The final exam last year was departmental. A lot of questions were from the latter part of the syllabus even if there was no thorough discussion on it. Do not leave out anything, study everything.

Subject: Legal Technique and Logic

Professor:- Atty. Tanya Lat

Teaching Style:

- As early as now, choose an effective group for your Havrutah. It’ll come in handy when you start working in groups, especially for your finals.

- Daily grind is not as demanding. It’s because recitations are voluntary. But recite as much as you can because this is how she’ll remember you. To score at least a 90, you need to recite more than twice per meeting.

- There are a lot of readings to be assigned per session but most of it will not be discussed. As long as you listen and participate well in class, you don’t need to worry. Her questions usually ask for opinions or personal comments.

- Don’t worry, she has so much assigned readings but you don’t really need to read ALL of them. Better focus on your other subjects.

- Her recit questions are pure subjective so you can answer them without reading anything.

Grade Range: She releases grades very late. So up to now, we don’t know! Haha

Midterms - Take home exam. - Essay- It’s advisable to divide the readings between a group to digest or summarize it then

share it with each other. Just make sure you don’t plagiarize!!

Finals- Moot court competition. DO WELL! Some panelists are really hard to please.- The memorandum was also our final paper for Legal Writing.

Subject: Theology

Professor:- Fr. IJ

Teaching Style:- Socratic- Recitations are based on the outlined reviewers he gives you- He’s a very nice professor, he’s also a student so he understands the demands

of law school while you’re in it. Do not take advantage of his kindness.- He will give a lot of free cuts in exchange for days to attend talk, film showing,

etc. - Journals: You have a semi-diary with Fr. IJ. Everything will be kept confidential

because at the end of the sem, he shreds your journals. So do not be afraid to talk to him about anything. He’s a priest afterall

Recommended Books/Reviewers:- His readings, take down notes!

Grade Range:- 85-93

Preparation for:Recitations:

- Read the materials. It’s relatively short. And all his questions come from it. I- Be comfortable with sharing personal things in your life. - Don’t make bola, there’s no need to.

Midterms:- You can get high as 90’s in his midterms as long as you read, understand and

memorize the pertinent parts of his handouts

Finals:- Final project by group: You will be assigned to visit an institution and have a

program (jail, home for the elderly, etc)- Make your output as CREATIVE and REFLECTIVE as you can. It will pull up

your grades.