What has happened to the Bar topnotchers?

abs-cbnnews.com | 03/28/2008 10:33 AM

By PURPLE ROMERO
abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

Today or tomorrow, the country will welcome new lawyers—as results of the 2007 Bar exams will be released.

We look back and check out these achievers from the past five years. They have one common thing: none of them has joined politics. They are either in the academe or in law firms.

Here goes:

Arlene Maneja

Topped 2002 bar exams with an average of 92.90. She completed law studies at the University of Santo Tomas.

Topping the bar exams was just another feather in her cap. Maneja, who was named as one of the top ten outstanding students in the Philippines in 2002, taught civil law at her alma mater after passing the bar. She joined Siguion Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako as an associate, but is currently on leave to pursue further studies abroad.

Aeneas Eli Diaz

Topped 2003 bar exams with an average of 88.53. He completed law studies at the Ateneo de Manila University.

He almost did not take the bar exams then after he learned that his favorite aunt, Lilia Diaz, was murdered on the day of the examinations itself (September 9, 2003). But he did--and even topped it.

He was a junior associate at Villaraza and Angangco (now Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angangco)when he took the exams. He is no longer connected with The Firm.

Diaz is a professor and also the coordinator of the inter-faculty program relations in La Salle Professional Schools and Far Eastern University MBA-JD Dual Degree Program or La Salle/FEU MBA-Law.

January Sanchez

Topped 2004 Bar Exams with an average of 87.45; completed law studies at the University of the Philippines.

Sanchez was then working for the ACCRA Law offices when she took the exams. Prior to this, she had also worked in a non-government organization called ‘Kaibigan’ and at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 227.

She left ACCRA and has joined the ASEAN Law Association (ALA.) But when we called up ALA, they said it has almost been a year since Sanchez left the non-government organization.

She has since lectured in the intensive Bar passers’ course organized by Global Best Practices, a non-profit institution in the country.

Joan De Venecia

Topped the 2005 bar exams with an average of 87.20. She completed law studies at UP.

The niece of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, she was already working as an associate at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan when she took the examinations. She is still with the law firm.

One of the more controversial cases she handled is the Subic rape case, where she worked as the assisting counsel of defendant and now convicted rapist Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith.

Noel Neil Malimban

Topped the 2006 bar exams with an average of 87.60; Completed law studies at the University of Cordilleras.

He was one of the few recent topnotchers who did not hail from UP or ADMU, two schools that have often dominated the bar exams. In 2000, he also placed 14th in the board exams for certified pubic accountants. He works as a Business Law Lecturer and Reviewer at the University of the Cordilleras.

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