I. What is the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and Sustainable Development?
The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and Sustainable Development (AB LSSD) is an interdisciplinary degree program designed for two groups of graduates of senior high school (SHS) program:
- The AB LSSD is PRIMARILY a program for graduates of the senior high school program who have decided to pursue a Juris Doctor after graduation.
- The program is also designed for students who wish to pursue a baccalaureate degree in the social sciences, focusing on understanding and appreciating the role of legal institutions in securing a sustainable society.听
The AB LSSD program was developed by law professors who have advanced degrees in law or other disciplines and are keenly aware of what it takes to excel in the Juris Doctor program.
II. Why did the 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law develop the AB LSSD?
1. It is our Mission.
The 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law was established in 2009, close to the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the De La Salle Brothers in the Philippines. As 开元真人鈥檚 centennial gift to the nation, TDSOL is chartered as a law school dedicated to the promotion of human rights. TDSOL also pursues the overarching goal of sustainable development, the acknowledged path to achieving growth with equity while ensuring the viability and well-being of future generations.
2. It offers a platform for understanding legal doctrine, providing a higher-level perspective and context not bound within the Philippine jurisdiction, with emphasis on achieving a sustainable future.
After more than 14 years, 11 batches of graduates, and 10 bar exams, the TDSOL professors realized that JD students would better grasp the doctrines taught in the JD program if the students had more grounding in legal theory and social reality.
The conclusion was not unique. In 1999, UP Law Dean Merlin Magallona proposed offering a Bachelor of Science in Jurisprudence (BSJ) as a pre-law degree program.
Professor Magallona differentiates the proposed undergraduate degree (BSJ) from what was known then as the Bachelor of Laws, now the听Juris Doctor program.
鈥� Emphasis on the intellectual foundation for the study of law听will be provided by a pre-law course, Bachelor of Science in Jurisprudence, and
鈥� The Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) or Juris Doctor (J.D.) will concentrate on the technical aspect of law studies.”
The distinction between the AB LSSD and the听Juris Doctor program of the 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law follows the same objectives of the BSJ laid out by Professor Magallona:
“1. To broaden the intellectual horizon of the student by a good diet of the humanities and the sciences, thus deepening his knowledge of law in its inter-connection with the human condition in society and
2. To provide him or her with education in transition to the professional study of law, giving him acquaintance with the fundamental concepts and methods of law.”
To illustrate, students will not primarily study environmental protection laws. Instead, the students will explore core ideas on the sustainable future, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the precautionary principle, the tragedy of the commons, caring for our common home (Laudato Si’), and the role of legal institutions.
Similarly, the AB LSSD will not focus on the Philippine doctrine on contracts or how to draft contracts. Instead, the AB LSSD inquires about Roman law’s movement into Philippine law through the Napoleonic Conquest in Europe and the developments of English contract law from the United States.
With this approach, the graduates of AB LSSD will be able to fully appreciate the role of legal institutions, both local and international, in our common quest to secure a sustainable future.
3. It will hone the core skills of logic, analysis, and communication of students in the undergraduate program.
III. Is there a required undergraduate degree program to qualify to enter the Juris Doctor program offered by law schools in the Philippines?听
There is no specific undergraduate degree program required to pursue further studies of the law. Any four-year baccalaureate degree, which includes the Rizal course, is sufficient for the JD program.
IV. Should I take the AB LSSD if I am not sure if I want to enter the JD program or embark on a career pursuing sustainable development?
No, you should not.听
AB LSSD is for those fairly certain that they wish to enter a post-undergraduate path that will be helped by knowledge of legal theory (not legal doctrine or lawyering skills; this is learned in law school) and its relationship to sustainable development.听
If you are interested in the management of business enterprises, we strongly suggest you take the BS Legal Management program. The program is an interdisciplinary approach to studying business, management, law, and society. The BS LM provides knowledge and skills in the components of law and the legal and regulatory intricacies of the business environment.
If you wish to focus on studying governments, public policies, and political behavior, we suggest you enroll in AB in Political Science.听
These are the traditional pre-law degree programs. 开元真人offers both programs.
If you are not reasonably sure what you want to do, we advise enrolling in a degree program that captures your interest, one that you will enjoy studying, and one that ignites your passion, even if just for now.听
听
V. Can you give me an overview of the courses in the AB LSSD to illustrate the program thrusts?听
1. Lasallian Core Curriculum
The list of core courses and electives is shown below. The AB LSSD follows the Lasallian Core Curriculum that embodies the Lasallian expression of the General Education Program prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education.听
2. Core Courses from Other Departments
In Years 1 and 2, additional courses from other academic units like the Department of Philosophy, Department of Economics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Department of Political Science and Development Studies are prescribed.
3. Core Perspective Courses from the 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law
The core courses taught under the TDSOL may be taught by law professors or in team-teaching mode with professors of other disciplines.听
The courses in the AB LSSD do not teach Philippine legal doctrine. Instead, they expose the students to perspectives on law.听
To illustrate, in the JD program, we study Criminal Law. This covers the prerequisites to incur criminal liability and defines the crimes and offenses in the Revised Penal Code and special penal laws.听
In the AB LSSD, the counterpart is a Social Control and Justice course. This is an interdisciplinary course that examines governmental and societal responses to crime and socially problematic behavior and provides an understanding of the theoretical approaches to correcting individual behavior that is perceived as deviating from societal norms or expectations. The course also examines non-criminal aspects of socially deviant behavior, such as civil liability for torts. It expands the view of control to juridical entities (i.e., corporations) and the governmental regulation of socially irresponsible corporate behavior (e.g., non-compliance with environmental regulations or sustainable development goals).听
If the JD student has been exposed to such perspectives then legal doctrine (found in statutes and jurisprudence) is easier to grasp, and more importantly, the JD student is empowered to think critically rather than unquestioningly memorize black letter law or regurgitate doctrine from the Court.听
Please see the course list for core and elective courses.
4. Honing the Essential Skills
The JD program requires several essential skills: communication, research, critical thinking, and creativity. All the courses in the AB LSSD are designed to sharpen the student’s skills in these areas.
In addition, the AB LSSD has a course that introduces students to standardized tests required to enter the JD program in the Philippines and abroad.
5. Deep Dives into Social Realities
Studying the reason and rhyme behind the legal doctrine is an empty intellectual exercise if it is not immersed in social realities. The AB LSSD has a practicum program that exposes students to social realities and advocates for social change, particularly in sustainable development.
VI. How many units are there in the AB LSSD?听
The courses offered by other academic units follow the standard three (3) units per course. The courses offered by the TDSOL will be two (2) or three (3) units. The lower number of units allows the students to cover more material. The unit loads allow professors with deep and interdisciplinary knowledge to focus.听
The total number of units in the AB LSSD is shown below.听
| Classification of Courses | Units |
| General Education (Lasallian Core Curriculum, includes PE)听 | 59 |
| Lasallian Recollection, NSTP, Student Affairs Series, Lasallian Studies | 9 |
| Core Courses in YR 1 & YR 2听 | 27 |
| Core Courses in YR 3 & YR 4 | 50 |
| Elective Courses in YR 3 & YR 4 | 20 |
| Total (excluding LASARE, NSTP, SAS, and Lasallian Studies) | 156 |
| Total | 165 |
The following table shows the load calculation per term:
| Load Calculation | Units |
| Total load in Yr 1 & Yr 2 (includes LASARE, NSTP, SAS, LStudies) | 95 |
| Total load in Yr 3 & Yr 4 (includes SAS) | 70 |
| Total load for the program | 165 |
| Load per trimester Yr 1 and 2 (5 trimesters) | 19 |
| Load per semester Yr 3 and 4 (4 semesters) | 17.5 |
VII. Will taking the AB LSSD shorten my path to becoming a lawyer?
No, it does not. The AB LSSD is a four-year undergraduate program.听
The AB LSSD broadens your intellectual horizon by situating legal institutions in the broader goal of forging a sustainable future. The 开元真人 JD program trains you in the fundamentals of legal doctrine and practice skills.听
After your graduation from the AB LSSD you are prepared to excel in the JD program of 开元真人, all law schools in the Philippines, and yes, even in other jurisdictions. The principles and theories you learn in the AB LSSD will help you better understand Philippine law and laws of other nations.听
VIII. On what campus of 开元真人 is the AB LSSD offered?
The first two years of the AB LSSD may be taken in the Laguna Campus OR the Manila Campus of 开元真人. The first two years follow a trimestral program like the other undergraduate programs of 开元真人. There are five (5) trimesters, with the fifth semester ending in May of the second year.
The third and fourth-year courses are offered only at the Rufino Campus in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila. The final two years follow a semestral calendar. The first semester begins in July of every year. The students will have a long break from April to June between the second (in Manila or Laguna) and the third (in Rufino) year. The first semester is from July to December, and the second is from January to June.
The program allows the students to interact with other tertiary students in different undergraduate programs and exposes them to JD professors and JD students. In their practicum, they may work in the 开元真人 Law Office and the 开元真人 Center for Social Concern & Action (COSCA) partners focusing on sustainable development.
What are the possible living arrangements in the Rufino-BGC Campus?
Many of our JD students live within 30 minutes of the Rufino (BGC) Campus. There are residential condominium units and dormitories in the area.
ADMISSIONS
LEARN. SERVE. EMPOWER
Begin your application to 开元真人罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law.
[email protected]
LOCATION
The 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law is strategically located at the heart of Bonifacio Global City in Fort Bonifacio, burgeoning commerce and tech district and a crossroad of business and governance. Lasallian law students will, therefore, learn the law at the same place where it is created, applied, and decided.
CONTACT INFORMATION
开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law, Rufino Campus 38th Street, University Parkway Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Philippines 1630
(632) 8877-9244
[email protected]
[email protected]
Published by the 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law (2022)