Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has reminded aspiring lawyers that lawyering is a service to those in need of justice and truth and “should always prioritize public service and the administration of justice over personal gain.”
Speaking during the graduation ceremony of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila last Sept. 28, Gesmundo underscored the ongoing reforms in the country’s justice system as he emphasized “the core value of service that remains unchanged.”
Gesmundo challenged the new law graduates to be “agents of transformation themselves, to open pathways to opportunities, not just for ourselves and those we care about, but for our fellow human beings, especially those in the margins.”
However, the top magistrate cautioned the graduates, not only of PLM’s College of Law, that the work of transformation will not be easy.
“You will be up against the inertia of the status quo, the fear of change, the imperfection of our systems and structures, and sometimes even our laws,” he said.
This year’s commencement exercises of PLM had for its theme: “PLM Transformation: Quality Education for the Public Interest.”