Socratic method vs core skills? CJ contenders weigh bar exam reforms

MANILA, Philippines — Two candidates for chief justice have outlined contrasting yet complementary perspectives on the bar examination, considered one of the country’s most grueling licensure tests.

During the public interview with members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen called for a comprehensive review of bar admission and criticized the country’s decades-long adherence to historical testing models.

“We have followed the colonial concept of a bar examination for too long,” Leonen said, questioning the immense societal strain associated with the annual test.

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He said: “The cultural pressure that we put on the bar exam is too tremendous… I think we need to rethink whether it should be the be-all or end-all of any law school.”

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The most senior magistrate pointed to architecture as a model where practical apprenticeship precedes licensing.

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“For an architect to become an architect, why is it that they need to practice under the supervision of an architect for thousands of hours before they can take the board exam?” he asked, adding that modern technology enables alternative approaches to evaluating readiness for legal practice.

Beyond the examination format, Leonen emphasized reforming law school pedagogy. Citing discussions from the National Access to Justice Summit on clinical legal education, he questioned the traditional reliance on the Socratic method in law classrooms.

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“Sometimes the Socratic method does not really work. The Socratic method is really inculcating in the student to be subservient to a doctrine and not creating more critical minds,” Leonen said.

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He also highlighted the need to expand legal access by recognizing Shari’ah counselors as special members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and creating pathways for more Shari’ah lawyers to serve across the country.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, citing his extensive background as a law professor, bar reviewer, and bar examiner, said the focus should be on the core competencies required of examinees and the balance between law school standards and bar pass rates.

When asked to evaluate examinees across written expression, legal knowledge, and analytical skills, Dimaampao identified English proficiency and analytical ability as decisive factors for success.

“Every time I lecture, [I emphasize] that you must convince the examiners that you can express yourself in good English,” Dimaampao stated, adding that candidates who successfully pass the bar consistently demonstrate a clear command of language alongside sharp analysis of the law.

When asked whether law schools should adopt stricter academic retention policies to reduce the number of bar flunkers, he said his teaching philosophy is “strict but reasonable.”

“I am in favor of a bar examination that must test the analytical ability of the examinees,” Dimaampao told the council. “And if we are strict on that, there will be less passers.” /cb

Aside from Leonen and Dimaampao, other candidates for chief justice are Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Rodil Zalameda, and Jose Midas Marquez.

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The JBC, chaired by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, will release a shortlist to be submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The President has 90 days from the vacancy to make his choice. Gesmundo will retire at the mandatory age of 70 on Nov. 6, 2026.