A bill seeking the provision of scholarships for law students in exchange for two years of government service has been filed at the House of Representatives, in an attempt to address the shortage of public attorneys.
Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan, in a statement on Tuesday said that he has filed House Bill (HB) No. 5242 last October 7 to help law students cope with expenses and at the same time help the government get its much-needed legal workforce.
Yamsuan said that there are many deserving law students who do not get the assistance that they get – which HB No. 5242 or the proposed Abogado Para sa Bayan Act can address.
‘Pursuing a legal education is not easy nor is it cheap. There are many deserving students who want to become lawyers but are hindered by financial constraints,’ the lawmaker said.
‘It is the goal of our Abogado Para Sa Bayan Act to help them reach their dreams while also helping ensure that the government would have a steady pool of competent and committed lawyers at the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and other government institutions providing legal services to indigent clients and other underserved sectors,’ he added.
According to Yamsuan, PAO was able to serve 15,069,235 clients and handle 847,317 cases just in 2024.
PAO, however, has only 2,676 public attorneys to handle these cases – which Yamsuan said results in a ratio of 5,631 clients and 317 cases per lawyer.
If the bill is approved by Congress and signed into law by the President, a Legal Scholarship and Return Service (LSRS) Program for deserving students who intend to pursue a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws degree in state universities and colleges or partner tertiary educational institutions will be established, which potentially addresses the lawyer shortage in PAO.
Students admitted into the LSRS program will receive the following benefits:
Free tuition and other school fees, including but not limited to, student registration fees, library fees, and publication fees
Allowance for prescribed books and supplies
Allowance for review fees for the government-mandated bar exam
Allowance for licensure fees
If a student is admitted into the program, he or she will be required to render mandatory service for two years with government offices within five years after his admission to the bar or after the start of the practice of law.
‘Within five (5) years from admission to the practice of law, a scholar shall render mandatory return service for two (2) years in government agencies [.] or in government agencies and instrumentalities that provide legal services to: (i) poor and marginalized individuals and communities, and (il) public school teachers, public health workers, and military and uniformed personnel involved in cases arising from or in connection with the performance of their duties and functions,’ Section 7 of the proposed measure stated.
Among the offices mentioned as an example are the PAO, National Prosecution Service, Department of Education, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Department of Justice, Department of National Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Judiciary itself.
However, those who fail to render service after three years from admission to the bar will have to either pay the full cost of scholarship and related benefits received or ‘undertake alternative compliance program to be formulated by the LEB (Legal Education Board).’
Law students who meet these criteria can qualify for the scholarship:
Filipino citizen residing in the Philippines
has not completed a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degree from any higher educational institution offering legal education
should be a graduating student or a graduate of an undergraduate degree program
should have passed the entrance examination and complied with other requirements for admission into the Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws degree program
Currently, Yamsuan said the Department of Budget and Management has approved the creation of 178 new Public Attorney positions in 2024.