Former Supreme Court Justice Reynato S. Puno and long-time Dean Emeritus of the Manuel L Quezon University (MLQU) School of Law recently met with MLQU President Paquito Ochoa Jr. and the new Dean Ferdinand Negre to discuss the future directions of the school.
Also present in the meeting were MLQU Vice President for Academic Affairs Ma. Victoria Dayao, Vice Dean Ria Golez-Cabrera and Program Coordinator Daniel Fordan.
As Dean Emeritus, ex-CJ Puno lent his legal expertise and the wisdom of his experience in designing MLQU’s Master of Laws Program and its Juris Doctor Program.
The discussions focused on making the School of Law more attuned to the times. They reviewed its degree programs and agreed to recruit new lecturers who are legal or technical experts in their fields.
The LL. The M. program is envisioned to offer core courses that provide students with a solid foundation in ASEAN law and international law. It was agreed that it should be futuristic as well as multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. A broad range of timely subjects will become part of the courses including Law and Technology, International Commercial Law, Human rights and Humanitarian Law, Environmental law and Sustainable Development, as well as possible inclusion of Chinese Law and the of Shariah (Islam Law).
Regarding MLQU’s Juris Doctor Program, discussions revolved around faculty development and recruitment; a new curriculum for Academic Year 2021-2022; the establishment of Legal Aid and Clinical Legal Education, as well as guidelines on student organizations.
In an interview, MLQU President Ochoa said that he, together with Dean Negre, is working “to get the best of the best” in his determination to burnish a new MLQU’s sheen as one of the country’s top law schools, which produced a distinguished roster of alumni, including Supreme Court justices, Department Secretaries, public servants and legal luminaries and many bar top notchers.
