Far Eastern University Institute of Law

The Far Eastern University Institute of Law was formally established by Nicanor Reyes Sr. in 1934, the same year that the Far Eastern University was founded following the merger of the Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance (IABF).[1] Currently, the campus for the Far Eastern University Institute of Law is now situated in Makati City.

Despite the Institute's limited resources, graduates include retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban; only five law schools have produced a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Manuel G. Montecillo, another alumnus of the Institute, obtained one of the highest grades in the history of the Philippine Bar with 95.5/100 in 1948.[2]

In 1970 six out of the top ten placers in the Bar Exams were graduates of the Far Eastern University Institute of Law; no other school did better until 1984.[3]

The Institute of Law has produced many well-regarded graduates, next to the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippine Law School, and University of Manila. Two Philippine Senate Presidents served as Dean: Jovito Salonga (1956-1963) and Neptali Gonzales (1976-1986).[1] As of 2014 the deanship was held by Atty. Melencio "Mel" Sta. Maria.

In 2003 the Institute teamed up with the De La Salle Graduate School of Business to offer the JD-MBA program, the first graduate dual program in law and business administration in the country.[1] See Academic Programs: Legal Education for All. However, in 2014, this partnership was abolished.

In 2011 based on the Bar Examinations passing rate from 2001 to 2010, the Legal Education Board recognized the Far Eastern University Institute of Law as the Fourth Most Outstanding Law School in the country.

The Institute of Law has the intention of providing quality legal education at an affordable cost and to make the Far Eastern University Institute of Law very applicable to working students, they relocated the campus from Nicanor Reyes, Manila to the Makati Central Business District.

The reengineered Bachelor of Laws Program leads graduates to specialize in litigation and other related practice areas.

The Institute of Law is housed in the Makati Campus of the University wherein classes are being held in the fourth and sixth floor while the Law library is on the 5th floor.

It has bar review rooms and a moot court apart from its state-of-the art classrooms.

• Melencio "Mel" Sta. Maria was the Dean of the Far Eastern University Institute of Law as of 2014. Some textbooks written by him have been cited as authorities by the Philippine Supreme Court, and he acts as an expert witness in the field of Philippine Contract Law in international arbitration cases.
• Andres D. Bautista was Sta. Maria's predecessor.
• Antonio H. Abad, Jr., a former dean, became Dean of the Adamson University.[4]
• Neptali Álvaro Gonzales was Dean from 1976 to 1986.[5]
• Jovito "Jovy" Reyes Salonga was Dean from 1956.

• Far Eastern University Institute of Law Student Council is the official student government of the Institute of Law.
• The Far Eastern Law Review is the official law journal of the Institute of Law.
• Far Eastern University Institute of Law Centralized Bar Operations is the student arm that helps graduates of the Institute of Law when they take the annual Bar Examinations. Its activities include providing study materials, organizing hotel accommodations, and other support activities exclusively for the Institute's bar examinees.
• Far Eastern University Institute of Law Moot Court Council is the student debating society. It provides training, in-house practice drills and other inter-university competitions. They are one of the best Moot Court in the Philippines, they have competed internationally to be the flag bearer of the country.
• The Far Eastern University Legal Aid Bureau (formerly Legal Rights Center) was created by virtue of Supreme Court Bar Matter No. 651 issued in 1993. Its primary aims are to provide clinical legal education to law students, legal internship for graduating law students, and free legal assistance to indigents. The Legal Aid Bureau also conducts community paralegal training, seminars and conferences on socio-legal issues and outreach activities. Internal activities include team building and leadership training and academic discussions. It raises funds which the Bureau can utilize in handling free cases for indigent litigants.
• ACLAS (Alliance of Concerned Law Students)

In 2000 ten law students of the Institute of Law lodged a complaint against Dean Andres Bautista, Associate Dean Teresita Cruz and two professors before the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for alleged irregularity. The complainants, headed by Artemio Urriza Jr., alleged that they were supposed to graduate in 1999 year but were unjustifiably given failing grades in two to three subjects taught by professors Atty. Ed Vincent Albano and Atty. Japar Dimaampao.

Their letter of complaint said they unduly received failing grades in Civil Law Review 2, Commercial Law Review and Remedial Law subjects.

"We firmly believe that we all passed our subjects and are very qualified to graduate but because of the whimsical and deliberate intentions of a 'triumvirate conspiracy' headed by our dean, Andres Bautista, together with our two professors, we became victims of injustices," they said. But Bautista denied the complainants' allegations as he maintained that the ten deserved to flunk in these subjects.

"We held a faculty deliberation on the second week of March. Professors then expressed reservations among some students, including them (complainants). It was decided that they need to take up these subjects again," he added. Bautista said that faculty deliberation is conducted to enable professors to collectively discuss the status of students.[6]

If you are tired, take a rest. Wag pilitin. Baka maging abugado ka nga, abnoy naman.

Overheard at FEU Institute of Law is a humor Facebook page, published by some law students and alumni, that documents different snippets of conversation or speech heard at the Institute of Law. The source of the humor in each quote varies. Some are intentional witticisms on the part of their speaker, some are based on his or her apparent cluelessness (as with students who did not study), lack of common sense, or stupidity, and some seem to demonstrate symptoms of mental illness (figures of speech intended). Overheard at FEU Institute of Law has become well-known within the campus.

• Artemio Panganiban - former Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court; 6th placer, 1960 Bar Examinations, 1960 FEU Law cum laude and Most Outstanding Student
• Corazon Aquino - the first woman president in Asia and the Philippines[7]
• Jose Nolledo - Member, Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986; Delegate, Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971; 3rd placer, 1958 Bar Examinations
• Justice Oscar M. Herrera - Court of Appeals
• Eddie Ilarde - former Philippine Senator
• Wenceslao Lagumbay - former Philippine Senator
• Neptali Gonzales Jr. - former Majority House Leader of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, Mandaluyong Mayor, created the Rizal Technological University
• Edilberto Sandoval - Associate Justice of Sandiganbayan
• Roland Jurado - Associate Justice of Sandiganbayan
• Nestor Mantaring - Director, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
• Eubulo Verzola - former Justice of the Court of Appeals, former Director of the Senate Public Information and Media Relations Office
• Fermin Martin Jr. - former Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals, 1955 FEU Law Class
• Jesus Elbinas - former Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals
• Salome Montoya - Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals, 1954 FEU Law cum laude, 6th placer, 1954 Bar Examinations
• John Choa - Ambassador-at-Large to the Territory of Guam, USA
• Agustin Benitez - former Dean of College of Law and Vice-president of the University of the East, 1st placer, 1959 Bar Examinations
• Ed Vincent Albano - Dean of College of Law at University of Perpetual Help; Law Professor at San Beda College of Law, Adamson University, Perpetual Help College of Law

• Far Eastern University Official Website
• FEU-La Salle JD-MBA Dual Program