Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen reminds new lawyers that the practice of law requires moral courage.
Speaking at the University of Baguio’s School of Law (UBSL), Leonen said doing what is right “does not always feel safe and may entail discomfort, risk, and fear.”
“There will be moments when you are asked to choose between convenience and conscience, between what advances you and what serves justice,” he said.
Leonen emphasized that lawyers must empower people by expanding access to justice and making the law understandable.
He also outlined reforms under the judiciary’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027, which aims to improve court systems and reshape institutional culture.
These initiatives include strengthening institutional security, standardizing judicial writing, revising rules and codes, and digitizing court processes through the eCourt PH 2.0 platform as part of the Supreme Court’s broader transformation agenda.
Leonen warned that public trust erodes and the rule of law weakens when access to lawyers, institutions, or justice depends on proximity or patronage rather than principles.
A total of 35 graduates of the UB School of Law passed the 2025 Bar Examinations.
In his message, UB chairman Dr. Zorba Bnn Bautista reminded the new lawyers that while their education aimed at passing the Bar exams has ended, their journey of lifelong learning—for the benefit of the clients they will serve—has only just begun.
UBSL Dean John Ray Libiran, for his part, expressed hope that the new lawyers would carry forward what defines the school: not just intelligence, but integrity; not just ambition, but compassion.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Uphold moral courage, SC justice urges new lawyers”
