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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Messages ............................................. 2

II. Bar Operations Team ............................. 8

III. Contact Details ..................................... 9

IV. Barrister’s Calendar ............................... 10

V. Hotel Operations FAQs ........................... 11

VI. Distributions FAQs ................................. 20

VII. Sunday Operations FAQs ......................... 23

VIII. Tips for Multiple Choice Questions ............. 24

IX. Topnotchers' Tips .................................. 26

A. Previous Topnotchers ...................... 26

B. 2010 Topnotchers .......................... 69

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MESSAGES

Dear Barristers 2012,

This is the second year of experimentation on the Bar Examinations format.

A slightly modified version of last year year’s examinations will be also in

place this year.

The Law School is preparing for an enhanced Bar Reviews by establishing a

self-testing process for any enrolled reviewee. We hope that the system isgoing to be in place beginning June of this year. This is our way of catching

up with the process of preparing every reviewee for a controlled Bar

Examination environment.

I thank in advance the Bar Operations Group this year for this pioneering

project which could be a benchmark or a more effective preparation for the

Bar.

Tools for bar review are available through notes but I advise you to bediscerning in the type of materials you will be using in the next few months.

There is no substitute to familiarity with the materials you have been

accustomed to in the past four years, including your own personal notes for

every subject.

I am confident that this second modified Bar Examination format will be

well within your radar screen. I have seen you develop intellectually and

emotionally. Have faith in your capacity. Pray hard and be generous to

others as you have been blessed with the rare opportunity to acquire the

Ateneo diploma.

Good luck!

SEDFREY M. CANDELARIA

DEAN, ATENEO LAW SCHOOL

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MESSAGES

The last lap begins. If you got this far, you have a lot to be proud

about and to be thankful for.

Every inch along the way, remember and believe what Isaiah said:

“They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will

soar with the eagle’s wings; they will run and not grow weary,walk and not grow faint.”

FR. JOAQUIN G. BERNAS, S. J.

DEAN EMERITUS, ATENEO LAW SCHOOL

MESSAGES

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Dear Barristers of 2012,

As you begin the last leg of your preparations to realize your long

cherished dream of becoming lawyers, rest assured that my

prayers and support will accompany you. Trust the Good Lord

Who begun this good work in you to bring it to fulfilment.

At the same time, trust yourselves and your inherent talents and

acquired self-discipline and time management. As always, givenyour realistic constraints, do the best you can, and leave the rest

to God.

God bless you all!

In Our Lord,

FR. LITO A. MANGULABNAN, S. J.

APS CHAPLAIN AND COUNSELOR

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MESSAGES

DEAREST ATENEO BARRISTERS,

It seems like only yesterday when you first saw the

admission results and were overcome with the feeling of

exhilaration at the thought of entering law school. You were

clueless of how things worked and scared of whether you could

meet the challenge. Do you still remember your reaction when

you first saw the load of cases that you had to read? Will you ever

forget the first time you were called for a recitation? Your heart

would palpitate every time you saw your professor approaching

the classroom.

Every day was a constant struggle to keep your head

above water. It was more difficult than what you imagined it

would be. Stress became an everyday companion, as did sleepless

nights and anxieties of whether you were adequately prepared

for the days to come. Things only became worse when you

realized that as difficult as it was to prepare for recitation, but

getting ready for exams was even harder. But now, after all those

trials, you are about to take the one last Final Exam before

becoming a lawyer. When you look back at all the frustrations,

disappointments, and failures, you can now tell yourself that it is

all worth it. Everything you went through only served to make

you a stronger person.

The road ahead of you will never be easy. Passing the bar

is like crossing a bridge towards even greater challenges. Those

challenges are mere avenues for you to excel and live up to the

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values instilled in you by the Ateneo. As you go out into the

world, remember that Ateneo does not just want you to be

successful, but to be significant in making a mark in our society.

You were trained by the best legal minds of the country and you

are groomed to be the best lawyers of your generation. Strive to

do what is right and live the mission of becoming men and

women for others.

We wish you the best and may God bless you. Make this

institution proud – The Legacy Continues, Batch 2012.

F ROM THE ATENEO C ENTRAL B AR OPERATIONS 2012

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ACADEMICS

COMMITTEE

ADMINISTRATION

COMMITTEE

HOTEL

COMMITTEE

Chairperson

Pierre Martin Reyes

Deputy Chairperson

Yla Paras

Understudy

Clariesse Jami Mari

Chan

Political Law

Jake Rupert Tabora

Jonathan Jo

Labor Law

Maiqui Laurel

Enzo Castriciones

Civil Law

Hannah Stephanie Ang

Francesco Anbochi

Taxation Law

Ellie Chris Navarra

Shishi Lagrosas

Commercial Law

Nikki Bellosillo

Allan Revote

Criminal Law

Dianna Louise Wilwayco

Julianne Alberto

Remedial Law

Christine Jean Chua

Ethics and Forms

Francis Fernando &

Crisanta Chianpian

Chairperson

Gian Carlo Miranda

Understudy

Mari Janine Evan

Mesina

Distributions

Marjorie Fulgueras

Carlo Barrientos

Cla Abacan

Finance

Patrick Jason Atilano

Food & Nutrition

Dianna Louise Wilwayco

Marketing

Grace Arboladura

Logistics & Security

Fermo Avila III

Promotions

Regine Andrei Alcantara

Merchandise & Sunday

Operations

Maria Ilsea Salvador

Liza Comafay

Chairperson

Gabrielle Mangahas

Deputy Chairperson

Lira Fuster

Understudy

Megan Musni

Kristia Caringal

Hotel Academics

Ana Olivia Lee

Olivia Ana Atillo

Aislyn Yao

Hotel Logistics

Nica Yan

Krissel Alfonso

Hotel Services

Philip Dabao

JM Segovia

Raymond Sanchez

Transportation

Daryl Aldana

John Santos

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CONTACT DETAILS

CONTACT PERSON AND

CONTACT DETAILS

For General/Admin Concerns

Gian Carlo Miranda

0927 796 0873

[email protected]

For Acads Concerns Pierre Martin Reyes0917 599 9934

[email protected]

For Hotel Concerns

Gabrielle Mangahas

0916 556 9390

[email protected]

For Distributions Concerns

Marjorie Fulgueras

0917 856 [email protected]

Carlo Barrientos

0917 845 5775

[email protected]

Cla [email protected]

For Sunday Operations

Concerns

Sei Salvador

0922 830 5688

[email protected]

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BARRISTER’S CALENDAR

FOR ACADEMICS CONCERNS

DATE

June 25, 2012Distribution of Supplements

and MCQ Reviewer

Monday Before Each

Examination

Distribution of Pre-Week

Reviewers

FOR HOTEL CONCERNS

DATE

April 23, 2012

Start of Hotel Sign-up

and Submission

Period

June 15, 2012

End of Hotel Sign-

up

and Submission

Period

Last Fridays of June, July, August and

September (depending on room type)Payment

Saturdays of October 2012, at 2:00 PMStart of Hotel

Check-in Period

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HOTEL OPERATIONS FAQ S

Who can avail of the hotel accommodations?

All Ateneo Law Barristers can avail of the accommodations,

provided that they sign up and pay all the necessary fees.

Non-Ateneo Law Barristers can also avail of the accommodations,

provided that they are related to an Ateneo Law Barrister up tothe 4th civil degree, sign up and pay all the necessary fees. The

Ateneo Law Barrister involved in this case should vouch for the

good conduct of the non-Ateneo Law Barrister and sign

appropriate documents. Admission of the non-Ateneo Law

Barrister will still be subject to review by the Ateneo Central

BarOps Committee.

How do we sign up?

An e-mail will be sent to your Yahoogroups and Facebook Group

with the link to the HotelOps database where you can sign up.

Aside from this, you will also need to submit the Barrister Info

Sheet, which will be sent through the Batch 2012 Yahoogroups

and Facebook Group.

Sign-up and submission period will start on April 23, 2012 and

end on June 15, 2012. You may submit your Barrister Info Sheet

through the brown envelope which will be placed at the BarOps

Bulletin Board or through e-mail at

[email protected] with the subject "Barrister Info

Sheet--[Surname]."

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What hotel are we staying in?

This year, the HotelOps will be held in Sofitel Philippine Plaza

Manila, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, which the Ateneo

Central BarOps has been using for the past 7 years.

What is included in the hotel accommodations?

The HotelOps will provide your needs during your stay with thefollowing committees:

Secretariat

The Secretariat is in charge of your reservations with the

hotel, collection of payment for hotel accommodations,

check-in and check-out of the hotel, holding of your

luggages and mobile phones and over-all in charge of the

hotel operations.

A photocopying machine is also available at the

designated function room for your use.

Hotel Academics

The Hotel Acads Committee provides for your research

needs during your stay at the hotel for your convenience.

You may call them at a designated hotline for any

academic questions and they will provide you with your

requested case digests, statutes and other necessary

materials.

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Services

The Services Committee gladly takes and orders for your

dinner requests for Saturday night, usually upon check-in.

You may choose from a list of restaurants within the

vicinity of the hotel, which will be made available for your

convenience. Payment should be made upon ordering,

inclusive of delivery charges (from the restaurant) andappropriate taxes.

They also have a mini store where you can buy your

essentials--sodas and other drinks, chocolates, cigarettes,

among other things. Complimentary items are also be

available such as coffee, candies, chips, etc.

Dinner orders and other requests from the Services

Committee will be delivered to your hotel room.

Logistics

The Logistics Committee wakes you up at the time you

indicated upon check-in, which will be at the intervals of

30 minutes. To wake you up, you can choose from thefollowing--operator call, knock or a combination of both--

to ensure that you will not miss the exams.

If you choose packed breakfast over a buffet breakfast,

the Logistics Committee will deliver them to your hotel

room, as well as the AM Blue Tips (c) upon arrival at the

hotel.

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Transportation

The Transportation Committee assists you in going to the

examination venue from the hotel and back, making sure

that each barrister arrives at the venue on time.

The following amenities are also provided for by the hotel:

Breakfast (packed or buffet)

Two buses to bring you to the examination venue and

back to the hotel

Complimentary use of the swimming pool

Complimentary access to the gym and spa

Complimentary valet parking for in-house guests

Complimentary cocktails after the last Sunday exams Complimentary shuttle services to SM Mall of Asia for

your guests with the following schedule (subject to

change)

DROP OFF SHUTTLE

AT HOTEL MAIN DRIVEWAY

PICK UP SHUTTLE

AT MALL MAIN DRIVEWAY

10:00 AM11:30 AM 12:00 NN

2:00 PM 2:30 PM

4:30 PM 5:00 PM

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How much will the accommodations cost?

Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila has extended special rates for the

Ateneo Central BarOps, as shown below. To avail of these special

rates, please coordinate and reserve your rooms with the

HotelOps and NOT with Sofitel. This year, Luxury Rooms (formerly

Superior Rooms) will be available for the barristers.

PER PERSON,PER NIGHT

PER PERSON, FOR4 WEEKS

SINGLE Php 7,500.00 Php 30,000.00

DOUBLE Php 4,250.00 Php 17,000.00

TRIPLE Php 3,167.00 Php 12,668.00

* Inclusive of 10% service charge, 12% VAT and 0.825%

government tax

When do we pay for the hotel accommodations?

Payments either in CASH or CHECK should be paid on the

following dates to the Hotel Secretariat and NOT to Sofitel. You

may opt to pay in full, in 2 installments or in 4 installments.

Payment Full Payment 2 Installments 4 Installments

1st

Jun 29, 2012 Jun 29, 2012 Jun 29, 2012

2nd

Aug 31, 2012 Jul 27, 2012

3rd

Aug 31, 2012

4th

Sep 28, 2012

* All due dates are the last Fridays of the month

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Please note of the following reminders:

CHECK payments should made payable to SOFITEL PHILIPPINE

PLAZA MANILA.

HotelOps receipts will be issued upon payment; should you need

an official receipt from Sofitel, please inform the Secretariat upon

payment.

Non-payment on these dates will incur a 10% penalty.

When do we check in at the hotel?

Check-in begins on Saturdays of October (or November) 2012 at

2:00 PM with the Secretariat at the designated function room.

Should you choose to check-in in the morning of Saturday or stay

over a night before (Friday), please inform the Secretariat.

When do we check out from the hotel?

After breakfast, you can check out with the Secretariat at the

designated function room by returning your key cards to the

person in charge. If you incurred expenses during your stay, i.e.

availing of room service, mini-bar in the hotel room, Internet use

or placing outgoing calls, please be sure to settle your accounts at

the front desk.

Upon check-out, you may leave your baggages at the designated

function room for secure storage, and deposit your mobile

phones, mp3 players or other gadgets with the Secretariat for

safekeeping. Rest assured that all your belongings are safe since

the function room will be locked once the barristers have left for

the exams. It will only be opened in the afternoon for you to getyour belongings back. Should you wish that your representative/s

(family members, loved ones, etc...) get your baggages, please

inform the Secretariat upon check-out.

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What should we expect on Saturday nights and Sunday early

mornings?

For Saturday nights, a mass to be officiated either by Fr. Bernas,

Fr. Mangulabnan or Fr. Ferrer will be held in the designated

function room.

For Sunday early mornings, wake up calls and knocks will be

conducted, AM Blue Tips (c) will be distributed and a blessingfrom either Fr. Bernas, Fr. Mangulabnan or Fr. Ferrer will be

given.

Where can we study in the hotel?

If you choose to study, instead of resting the day before or hours

before the exam, you can study in the designated function room

for Secretariat, in the hotel lobby, by the pool area or in your

hotel room. However, the lights in the hotel room are not

conducive for studying; so it is advisable that you bring your own

lamps.

How do we get the AM Blue Tips (c)?

If you have a personal runner, then s/he can get the tips from thedesignated function room and bring it to you. Since the hotel has

a strict policy on access to room floors, barristers must provide

their personal runners with a duplicate of their room key, by

requesting for such from the front desk.

If you do NOT have a personal runner, the HotelOps commits to

provide you with one, who will deliver the tips to your hotelrooms once they have arrived at the hotel.

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If you do not prefer to have the tips delivered to you, you may

opt to pick it up yourself from the Secretariat at the designatedfunction room.

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How do we get the PM Blue Tips (c)?

Your PM Blue Tips (c) will be given to you by the Sunday

Operations Committee during your lunch break.

How do we get to the examination place?

Two (2) buses will be provided by the hotel, which will depart

from Sofitel in the morning to take you to the exam venue. Thesebuses will likewise pick you up in the afternoon after your exams

to bring you back to the hotel to get your belongings.

How do we get to Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila?

If you are coming from Rockwell Center, you may either traverse

EDSA or GIL PUYAT AVE. (formerly Buendia Ave.), since both

roads lead to Roxas Boulevard.

If you opted for EDSA, take the south-bound lane, go straight and

make a right turn at Macapagal Boulevard (with Petron and Blue

Wave Commercial Building on the right). Go down this road and

turn left at the street (unnamed street) where Home Depot and

Jollibee are located on your left, then turn right at the road just

where the Film Center is located. Sofitel is just beside the FilmCenter.

If you took Gil Puyat Ave., just go straight crossing Taft Ave.,

Roxas Boulevard and Macapagal Boulevard until you see the

Home Depot and Jollibee on your left (as described above) and

along the unnamed street. Enter this unnamed street and turn

left at the road just where the Film Center is located. Sofitel is justbeside the Film Center.

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If you do not wish to pass by the Film Center, instead of takingthe unnamed street, go straight further (if you took EDSA) or turn

right at Macapagal Boulevard (if you too Gil Puyat Ave.), and turn

left at the Vicente Sotto St. You should then be able to see Sofitel.

Should you have other questions and clarifications, please

contact Gab Mangahas at 0916 556 9390 or send the HotelOps an

email at [email protected].

A FRIENDLY CHECKLIST

FOR YOUR OVERNIGHT STAY

Clothes, swimsuits

Shoes

Toiletries

Reviewers

Codals

Money

Mobile Phone and other gadgets

Lamp

Food

Bar exam permits, etc.

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

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DISTRIBUTIONS FAQ S

THE SUMMER REVIEWERS

This set of reviewers is a summary of bar subjects and focuses on

the most important details of the subject matter.

PRE-WEEK REVIEWERS

Before a Bar Exam weekend, Pre-week Reviewers are released for

the relevant bar subjects. The reviewers contain the most recent

jurisprudence and the most frequently asked Bar Exam questions

for the past ten (10) years. The pre-week reviewers are usually

released on the Monday before the weekend of each Bar Exam.

Distribution hours will be posted at the Bulletin Boards.

THE BLUETIPS©

The BlueTips© contain possible bar exam questions for the year.

The last minute tips are compiled by the Academics Committee of

the Ateneo Central Bar Operations and formulated by different

professors of the Ateneo Law School.

The AM Tips are usually released between 4 to 5 AM of theexamination day proper. Barristers listed under the Ateneo

Central Bar Operations will get their tips at the hotel where we

are billeted. For barristers with personal runners, the personal

runner must claim the AM Tips for their respective barrister in the

APS Library Lobby.

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The PM Tips will be distributed during the break after the first(1st) exam, i.e. from 10AM to 2PM. Those under the Ateneo

Central Bar Operations will receive their PM Tips at the Sunday

Operations Headquarters. The exact location of the PM Tips

distribution will be announced one (1) week before the Bar

Exams. Personal runners may also claim the PM Tips at the

Sunday Operations Headquarters.

THE RUNNER

The names of the personal runners must be submitted to the

Distribution Committee before November. A sign-up sheet will

be posted on the Ateneo Central BarOps Bulletin Board at the B1

lobby. The barristers are requested to clearly write the name of

your designated “runner” in the appropriate column. The

designation of an alternative runner is subject to approval by the

Committee.

In case of substitution of runners, the name of the new runner

should be personally relayed to any of the Committee heads for

approval and proper registration to avoid any confusion. The

runner will be your duly authorized agent when claiming your

BlueTips©

. The runner can claim the AM Tips at the APS LibraryLobby and the PM Tips at the Sunday Operations Headquarters.

Remember: Your runners have to be people you really, really

trust.

For organizations with designated personal runners, please

submit a list of your organization’s runners for each of the

Sundays of November, together with a list of your member-barristers. Organizations may have a maximum of two (2)

registered personal runners who are authorized to claim AM and

PM BlueTips©.

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IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

When claiming your reviewers and other review materials, proper

identification cards like your Barrister’s ID (to be given by the

Ateneo Law School Administration) or your Ateneo Law School ID

are necessary. If your personal runner claims your reviewers and

other review materials, your runner must bring proper

identification cards/documents to ensure that your reviewers are

released to the person actually designated. The personal runnermust also bring with him/her your Barrister’s ID.

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SUNDAY OPERATIONS FAQ S

The Sunday Operations Heads are tasked to establish and

maintain an on-site headquarters in the area of the bar

examinations and to provide logistical support to bar examinees

of the Ateneo Law School during the four Sundays of November.

Their functions include assisting in the distribution of the Blue

Tips for the afternoon of the examination, providing a depositoryof personal items of the barristers and ensuring that the

barristers are charged and ready for their next exam.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

A list of the possible food selections, as well as the prices, shall be

distributed and posted by the Central Bar Operations. Starting the

week after that, the Sunday Ops heads shall have a booth near

the entrance of the Ateneo Law School Auditorium at the B1

lobby where food orders may be made and payments will be

accepted. Payments and orders may be done in lump sum or on a

weekly basis.

Actual Sunday Operations

The Sunday Operations will have a distribution area, accessible to

the barristers for the speedy distribution of their food and the

Blue Tips. Barristers or personal runners who did not avail of the

food service may also go to the distribution area to claim their

tips.

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TIPS FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE Q UESTIONS

Here is a compilation of tips for answering the MCQ Bar

Examination, sourced from the talk of Justice Abad & Atty. Abad:

1.

In answering a question, look first at the question and

answering it yourself before looking at the choices.

2.

In case of doubt, look at the intent of the examiner. Youcan also use the process of elimination.

3.

If you have to, guess. But guess intelligently.

4. In guessing, stick to one letter if you cannot arrive at an

intelligent guess.

5.

The MCQ will only have one answer that experts will

generally agree on, so do not worry about outlier

answers.

6.

Since it is choose the “CORRECT” not the “BEST” answer,

pick the answer that provides a correct response to the

question.

7.

Do not leave anything blank, it is not a right minus wrong

exam.

8.

Do not dwell on one number too long, if necessary, skip

it. You need to budget your time.

9.

Mark unsure answers so you can review them beforetime is up.

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10.

Make sure you are shading the correct number.

11. Keep in mind the purpose of the questions:

a.

Examinees knowledge of law and basic principles and

ability to recall them (KNOW and RECALL) 20%

b.

Ability to understand the meaning and significance ofthe law and its basic principles (UNDERSTANDING)

40%

c. Ability of the examinee to analyze legal problems and

provide solutions to them (ANALYSIS and SOLUTION)

40%

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TIPS FROM THE PREVIOUS BAR TOPNOTCHERS

ATTY. PJ BERNARDO

TOP 8, 2005 BAR EXAMINATIONS

Review Tips

Studying on Sundays is often necessary to keep pace with the

three-reading schedule.

While it is advisable to scale-down study on Sundays, it is good to

put in a few hours of study in order to keep the pace going. A

completely study-free Sunday can mean difficulty starting-up

again on Monday, resulting in wasted time.

But do take breaks. Perhaps you can schedule them in between

each reading (i.e. after finishing your first reading of all the

subjects). Go to the Beach, drive to Tagaytay, indulge in the spa.

Taking breaks especially come August is a good way to relieve

stress.

Choose the Bar Lectures which you will be attending.

Nothing is better than actually sitting down to read for yourself;lectures can only serve to point to you important point which you

should already know (i.e. sitting at the lectures, you’re attitude

should be: ah, okay, alam ko na ‘yan!) I suggest, however, that

you absolutely attend: Domondon’s Tax Lectures (and get a copy

of his cut-and-paste, especially in tax), Jack’s Political Law Pre-

Week Political Law and Commercial Law lectures, and the lectures

on Legal Forms and Land Titles.

Stick to a book, and read that throughout.

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The Bar is not a depth exam, but a breadth exam. Reading toomany books on the same subject can often clutter your

understanding and leave you confused. Do not rely on reviewers;

often, the books you read in law school are the best review

material.

Read past Bar exams.

While there is no guarantee that the Bar will repeat previous

questions, it is always good to have a feel of what the Bar

questions are like. The UP Law Center publishes a compendium of

past Bar exams in every subject, and having a copy of these

compendia would be good preparation in knowing the style of

questions which are asked. Sometimes (as in Tax), there are

several central principles which are often asked, and while

questions may vary from year to year, the concepts are the same.

If you are sharp, you will see the same pattern in other subjects.

So, try to read through the last ten years’ bar exams. Do it

gradually, over your four or five month review, perhaps before

going to bed (You’re going to dream about the Bar, anyway, trust

me).

Focus on Criminal Law, Taxation, and Ethics.

Ateneans are generally known to excel in Political Law,

Commercial Law, and Remedial Law. However, our waterloo is

often Criminal Law, Tax Law, and Ethics. Thus, pay extra-care to

these subjects, which are often the tricky ones in the Bar. In fact,

during our 2005 Bar, only 19% passed the Criminal Law Exam! It

would be heartbreaking for a bar candidate to flunk it becausehe/she gets disqualified in Ethics (and mind you, this has

happened many times). For Ethics, know the Canons.

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Do well in the afternoon subjects.

The afternoon subjects are often more compact that the morning

subjects whose breadth is often wider. Afternoon subjects tends

to be more to the point and more manageable to answer. Thus,

strive to do well in the afternoon subjects because they can serve

as buffers for the often more difficult morning subjects.

Know the Codal.

You can never go wrong with the code. Even if, for example, the

examiner has a specific case in mind which you do not know,

remember that these cases are merely interpretations of a

specific provision of law. Thus, spend time knowing the codal, if

possible, knowing it by heart. In fact, I suggest that you do not

read commentaries on your pre-week; rather, focus on Codal

provisions.

Take a rest the day Monday after each exam.

Actually, you really have no choice, because your brain will simply

refuse to work on Monday, following each exam. After the Bar

exams, you will probably be too exhausted to indulge in anystrenuous activities. Most of you will just want to plop into bed

and sleep: this isn’t a bad idea. Sleep in. Upon waking up the next

day, see a movie. Start studying again in the late afternoon, if at

all.

Most importantly, forget about the previous Sunday’s exam. Not

only will it make you nervous about the exams in general, it will just distract you from studying for the next Sunday’s test.

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Good luck! Know that for someone who’s been there, I canhonestly say that Ateneo Law School has given you what it takes

to pass the Bar with flying colors. Again, it’s only a question of

focus and discipline on your part. Study to top, not merely to

pass. Magis requires nothing less.

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ATTY. MENCHIE ONA


Review Tips

Read this manual (at least thrice). That was the first thing I did to

prepare for the Bar.

Psyche yourself. Understand the nature of the Bar Exam. Nothing

comes close to the Bar. It, therefore, should not be surprising that

preparing for the Bar will require every barrister’s 101%. Bar

Review is synonymous to SACRIFICE. Understand that you have to

forego things you love when you prepare for the bar. The earlier

you say bye-bye to your happy days, the better. The bar exam

requires serious, systematic and smart preparation.

Choose your review materials wisely. It is so time-consuming to

shift to another material and start all over again.

a. Be partial to those books/materials you have already read

during your law school days, provided, of course, they are

bar review materials (i.e. reasonable in length). One,reading them will take less time, as you don’t have to

highlight or mark them. Two, it contains your notes.

Three, even by just looking at the material, you’ll know

where the important parts/concepts are.

b. It’s better to have a copy of a reviewer/handout and then

decide not to read it than to have no copy of it and thendecide you need it. It’s best to have options.

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c.

Tables and diagrams in reviewers (Ateneo, Beda) areuseful.

Organize your review materials. Time is of the essence during bar

review. You cannot afford to waste time by looking for misplaced

review materials. I maintained eight drawers for each of the

subject. This is also a good way to store all the reviewers you’ll

get.

Make a schedule and follow it. Count the number of days from

the start of your review until the last day before pre-week

Anticipate and exclude all those dates when you can’t study.

(You’ll realize you don’t have much time!) Divide these days per

subject (and per book) according to your preference. Subjects

which are longer or which you have weak foundation in should be

given priority. Be flexible, though. Adjustments are inevitable.

Still, a schedule is a must to provide a guide as to how many days

you can allot for every reading. (I misplaced the notebook which

contains my sched. Sorry. Anyway, you’re the best person to

know what suits you – this applies not only in making a sched but

for the entire bar preparation as well.)

Don’t procrastinate. You can’t buy time. There is not enoughtime! (I can’t stress this enough.) There is no way to stretch your

review period – you can only reduce time allotted for one subject

to make up for another. This is the best time to bribe your friends

(who are not preparing for the Bar), family and loved ones to do

tasks for you (like buying your pens, books, getting review

materials, preparing meals, etc.)

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Still, be kind to yourself. Set aside some time to relax andbreathe. Sometimes your brain just can’t absorb anymore. You’ll

be more effective if you stop reading. Watch a movie, go out,

have dinner with your loved ones, whatever. (But not too long,

just enough to recharge you.) I went out during Saturdays. When

I feel tired or when I feel my brain cannot absorb more info, I stop

- watch t.v., sleep, mangulit sa mga kapatid ko esp. Kenneth, Udy,

Mae.

Monitor your progress. I logged both the number of hours spent

reading and the number of pages I covered. This helped me

paced myself. This may not work for everyone though. April and

early May, I was so slow – I think 50 pages a day. I started logging

my hours end of May. Come August (siguro dahil sobrang takot

na ko), I averaged 150 to 200 pages and 9 hours a day.

Study smartly. Do not read too many stuff. Streamline. Codal

provisions, a good reviewer for each subject and updates on

jurisprudence should suffice. (note that I did not read all the

review materials I listed 3x) Master the basics. Knowing what is

important and relevant makes a big difference. Understand the

substance of the law and know how to apply the law. Force

yourself to absorb what you have reviewed. Recall legalprovisions during your spare time. Listen to audio codals when

you travel.

Take care of your health. Try to get regular exercise, even 30

minutes a day. (This I failed to do, so during the exam days, I had

difficulty breathing. My sister told me it may be because I gained

a lot of weight and failed to exercise for a loooong period).Nutritious food. Vitamins. Vaccines. And get enough sleep

everyday! (at least 9 hours for me) Your brain processes info

while sleeping. Manage your stress.

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Ask for understanding and support of your family, friends, esp.boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband. Let them know what you’re

going through to prepare for the Bar Exam. The last thing you

need is additional source of stress when the Bar is draining

enough. Avoid distractions. Avoid conflicts in your personal

relationships with others.

Choose the review classes you’ll attend wisely. I did not attendtoo many review classes (I recommend – Domondon on Tax

Remedies and Balane on updates on jurisprudence). I realized

that I would cover more topics by reading. Note that a lot of your

time will be wasted by preparing, going to school, the useless

talks, etc. (This may not apply if you plan to study in school.) If

there are handouts for a given lecture, I suggest that you don’t

attend the class anymore. Most probably, the lecturer will only

repeat what’s already in the handout. This also applies if the

lecturer was your professor. Weigh the pros and cons of

attending a review class. (But make your assessment quick, you

can’t spend much of your time assessing whether to attend or

not.)

Strive for 3 readings, excluding pre-week. I did 3 readings. Don’t

memorize on your first reading. Just familiarize yourself. 1streading was the lightest for me (I just highlighted my materials

and made marginal notes). Second reading: force yourself to

absorb what you are reading. Thus, this will take a longer time. (I

think, I started making short notes on my second reading for

some subjects. Late ko narealize I need these notes pala). Third

reading: I reviewed the short reviewers, some codal provisions,

and my short notes.

Don’t compare yourself with others. It will only add up to the

pressure. That’s why you have a schedule. Bar preparation is an

individual task.

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Handwriting

a. Practice writing legibly and FAST. I don’t have good

handwriting. And my hands tire easily. (I remember my

Persons exam; I wanted to cry because my hand was

already twitching, I can’t control it. A friend commented

that my Oblicon bluebook is dirty) With these, I knew

practising my handwriting is a must. If the examiner can’tunderstand my handwriting, all my preparation will be

put to waste. I didn’t maintain a regular schedule for this

though. I think I set aside 30minutes to 1 hour on some

Saturdays (it was not really regular). I used grade 3 pads.

Pero, on the exam day itself, I reverted to my usual a’s

and s’s. Pero at least better kahit papano ang handwriting

ko. Practice really helped. The Bar exam is long you need

to develop stamina.

b. Learn to write really big! Your letters should at least be

readable with proper spacing. Don’t forget the margins.

c.

Choose your pen now. I used Rotring pigmented ink 0.4.

Try to read the past Bar exams once I a while. A least be familiar

with the style in answering questions.

Don’t worry about your physical appearance. Don’t worry if

you’re getting fat. Remember you’ll have all the time to get slim

again after the Bar.

Pray. Whenever you feel tired, scared, bothered, pause and talk

to God. Submit everything to Him. Have faith. You can’t conquer

the Bar by yourself alone. Do your best, let God do the rest.

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Decisions. Decisions. In your review, you will have to make a lotof decisions. Whether to shift from one book to another, whether

to read a new handout, whether to attend a review class. There

are no easy answers for these questions. I only suggest one

approach – pause, reflect, assess yourself, ask for God’s guidance,

decide. After making your decision, abandon all worries and

move on (yes this is difficult. But who said Bar preparation is

easy?

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ATTY. JOHN PAUL LIM


General Tips

Prepare to top, not to pass. You ARE ATENEANS, after all.

Memorize important case titles and codal provisions. It’ll makeyour job and the examiner’s job easier. Cite case law and codal

provisions directly, if you are sure.

Study hard. Pray harder.

Study Day

I wake up at around 7am. I reach school by 730-8am. I study at

LSAC together with my girlfriend (crucial for me, at least) and a

few “study buddies.” I was the police of the group, so to speak. I

made sure that I clocked-in at least 8-12 hours of pure studying a

day (meaning, minus bathroom, lunch, chat, mass, walk-in-the-

mall breaks). I bought a stopwatch for this purpose. I usually went

home about 9-11pm, after meeting my daily quota.

Review Schedule

April to June, I had my weekends free, meaning minimal to no

studying during weekends. I did the mirror method and went to-

and-fro until about a week before the first week of the exams. By

then, I started to read Poli and Labor again so that by the first

exam week, I would’ve read the two subjects at least twice. (Thefirst exam week is CRUCIAL. It will determine your mood for the

whole month.) July to August, I started clocking-in 10-12 hours a

day. I also started studying on weekends during these months.

Holidays, included.

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Materials Used

Leave nothing to chance. If you come by something and you

doubt whether to read it or not, just read it anyways. I read

almost everything that was thrown my way, but I stuck with the

following texts throughout the review:

Subject Materials

Political Law

Justice Nachura’s outline, Fr. Bernas’s Primer, Atty. Jimenez’s

Notes on Administrative Law, Election Law, and recent

jurisprudence, Magallona (thin version) for PIL. Codal.

Labor Law

Atty. Azucena’s Everyone’s Labor Code, Atty. Manuel’s lecture

and 100 notes, Alcantara and Atty. Disini’s notes for Social

Legislation. Codal.

Civil Law

Atty. Balane’s outline for the preliminary chapters of the Civil

Code, Persons, Property, Obligations and Contracts, and his

Succession Book, Atty. Zuniga’s notes for Security Transactions,

Aquino’s book for Land Titles, Jurado’s Civil Law Reviewer,

Sempio-Diy for Persons and Conflict of Laws. Codal.

Taxation Law Mamalateo and Sababan’s Tax Review books, Atty. Montero’s and

Atty. Abella’s notes. Codal.

Commercial

Law

Dean Villanueva’s Commercial Law Review, Sundiang/Aquino’s

Book Reviewer, Perez’s books on Insurance, Corporation Law, and

Transportation, Catindig’s book on Special Commercial Laws,

Dean Abad’s Negotiable Instruments Law.

Criminal Law

Gregorio’s Criminal Law Reviewer, Boado’s Notes and Cases on

Criminal Law, Justice Sandoval’s Criminal Law Reviewer, andJustice Peralta’s lecture notes. Codal.

Remedial Law

Riano for Evidence and Civil Procedure, Justice Regalado for

everything else, San Beda’s Reviewer, and Justice Aquino’s notes

and recent jurisprudence.

Legal Ethics

and Forms

Aguirre’s book on ethics, Dean Abad’s notes for Legal Forms.

Codal.

As to whether to use reviewers or books, for me, I think it’s best

to stick to one thick book reviewer, one small book reviewer, and

the codal provisions. If you’re not comfortable with this set-up,

do whatever works for you.

Study Period

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Atty. Sta. Maria’s last-minute lecture on Persons

(essential!) All the recent jurisprudence lectures

Atty. Diaz and Dean Villanueva’s lectures on how to prepare for

the bar are very, very crucial. They present different styles of

studying. Pick one and start from there. Also, do try to attend ALL

of the pre-week lectures. Atty. Jimenez (Poli and Comm), Atty.

Manuel (Labor), Atty. Montero (Tax), Atty. Balane and Dean delosAngeles (Civ), Atty. Salvador (Rem), and Justice Hofileña’s (Ethics

and forms) last-minute tips are VERY, VERY helpful.

Hardest Subject

Interestingly, I found Civil Law to be the hardest subject. The

coverage is simply too long. Suffice it to state, it was probably the

only subject I was not able to re-read entirely during the pre-

week.

Easiest Subject

Political law. Atty. Jimenez was able to predict at least fifty

percent (50%) of the questions, after all.

Night before the Test

I attended mass at the hotel every week, after which my

roommate and I discussed a few points. We tried to sleep by

10pm but on some weeks, we ended up sleeping at around 11.

Pray before you sleep and first thing when you wake up.

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Things to Avoid

Procrastinating. You are entitled to give yourself a break, once in

a while. After all, you need your sanity for the bar. However, keep

in mind that you are, at this moment, a bar reviewee. Your

primary task, therefore, is to review and to prepare for the bar.

There are, nevertheless, exceptional circumstances when some of

your batchmates/co-reviewees/others will need you. Go out of

your way and help them, if you can. Remember that being a bar-reviewee does not make you any less of a human being.

Best Kind of Help

a. Taking all of my four years of law school seriously;

b. Re-studying and preparing like there’s no tomorrow; and

c. Leading up to the exam days, Fr. Mangulabnan and Atty. Mel

Sta. Maria’s pep-talks every Saturday morning (gave me the

confidence I needed week after week in September).

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ATTY. ERIC DAVID TAN


General Tips

Healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

Study Day

I sometimes studied alone. But I didn't mind studying with a

group as long as I get along with them.

Review Schedule

Two subjects per day. 100 pages for each subject.

Materials Used

Review books are still the best materials. I only resorted to

reviewers if I had no other choice.

Study Period

No, I didn't study right after graduation. I took a short vacation. I

started studying on the third week of April.

Number of Readings

I was able to do at the least 4 readings including the pre-week formost subjects. However, for the other subjects, like Remedial Law

(because of typhoon Ondoy), I was able to do 5 readings. For

Legal Forms and Ethics, I was able to do only two readings.

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Feedback on Ateneo Review Classes

I didn't attend most of the review classes in Ateneo except for

certain pre-week classes such as: (1) Labor Law Review of Atty.

Manuel; (2) Commercial Law Review of Atty. Jack Jimenez; and (3)

Tax Law Review of Atty. Domondon.

Hardest Subject

Criminal Law

Easiest Subject

Taxation and Remedial Law


I used every time I had to read in order to make sure I didn't miss

anything important. I had to make sure I had at least 6 hours of

sleep. But because of anxiety, it was usually shorter. So, I just

listened to my iPod and jumped around my bed until I became so

tired that I had to sleep.

Things to Avoid

Avoid being too scared. I guess being afraid of what to expect is

normal, but you shouldn't let that overwhelm you.

Best Kind of Help

Mental preparation. My family, The Aquila Legis Fraternity, andmy friends gave me my needed morale boost. Going through the

ordeal knowing that the people who mattered to you are behind

you every step of the way really helped.

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ATTY. YVES RANDOLF GONZALEZ


General Tips

a. Take a big long vacation before you start studying. This will give

you good memories to look back to during the time you arealready studying. This will also remind you that life is good. You

need to believe this to keep your motivation and focus intact.

b. Take short mini-vacations every two weeks or so. Same ratio as

No.1

c. Start on the subjects you are weakest with, so that you can get

rid of your fear of these subjects. Postponing them till later will

only give you an anxious feeling while you're studying other

subjects. You want to minimize all forms of negativity during this

time and this is one of the ways you can do so.

d. Listen to audio lectures whenever you get the chance. Instead

of wasting time playing music during your daily commute, listen

to audio lectures instead. You will learn a lot of things that youwill never encounter in books. While taking the bar, the things

you heard in the lectures will come back to you and will greatly

help you remember the right answer. But do not listen to audio

lectures while reading a book. That's just crazy.

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h. Outsource chores to other people; keep your own focus onstudying and learning as much as you can. e.g. ask your girlfriend

to handle your accounting and bills payment so you don't have to

think about those, ask your auxie to do photocopying instead of

doing it yourself. Remember to thank them always.

i. Have a concrete goal. If you want to top the bar, then aim for it.

If you want to just pass, then aim for that as well. Have a concretegoal and set your plans accordingly around such goal. Don't let

fear of the uncertain, anxieties, or despair cause you to deviate

from this goal. You will have moments of despair and panic, but if

you have a goal, you will eventually get over these negativities as

you realize that they will not help you attain that goal.

j. Be prepared. Anything worth doing takes time. Boxers train

months before a fight, so that they can be confident of being able

to defeat their opponent on fight day. Do the same. Arm yourself

with all the knowledge and information that you can get; you will

use this to overcome the Bar. Being prepared will give you

confidence, and that is critical on exam day proper. Your

confidence in yourself that you are ready to take on this task is

probably one of the most important, if not the most important

factor that will spell the difference between victory and defeat. Ifyou don't believe you can defeat your opponent, then you

probably won't.

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Study Day

Wake up at 2-3pm, drive to study place (Starbucks Julia Vargas or

Starbucks jungle). Listen to audio lectures during the drive so as

not to waste that time. Study for 3-4 hours before having dinner.

After dinner, I take a short break, surf the web, chat with study

buddies, before resuming studying. Study for another 3-4 hours. I

usually end studying around 3-4AM. Go home, sleep around 6AM.

Repeat the next day. I studied with an informal group, the oneswho also studied in my study place. But I studied in my own table,

far from everyone else, to avoid unnecessary chit chat and time

wasting. You can always talk to your study buddies during your

short breaks. Keep study time, study time.

Review Schedule

I started with the subjects I'm weakest in (Poli, Crim, Rem). In

between each I would study a subject I am more comfortable

with. I studied at least 5 days a week, with the remainder

reserved for short vacations and other stress relieving activities.

Started May 8, ended first round of reading July 8 (one week late

from my target). I did not have a fixed daily, weekly, monthly

sched; only target dates. On certain "in the zone" days, I would

study for 10-12 hours to make up for the days when I wasn't ableto reach my daily average of 8 hours.

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Materials Used

Do not tell yourself that you will re-read a book. Read it once,

absorb it, then find another book on the subject. Reviewers are

godsend, they will usually teach you more than full text books.

Read all reviewers you can get from ATENEO, Beda, and other

sources. Since you will not re-read, then there will be no need to

highlight; since you are not highlighting, then you will finish

reading faster.

1. PRIMUS Notes for ALL subjects. These are very

educational, well written, and direct to the point

2. Mamalateo Book - Tax . short and direct to the point.

You can finish this in one day.

3. Azucena Everyone's Labor Code - same as #2, easy to

read, direct, and can be finished in a day or two

4.

Domondon's book for tax

5. Nachura's book for poli - I read this twice just because

Nachura is the chairman of the exams

6.

Father Bernas Consti Primer - you can't go wrong with

this one

7. Sempio Dy for Civ

8.

Sta. Maria for Family Code. But skip most long

discussions; alot of them are for law school recits, notneeded for Bar.

9.

CLV book for Corp - same as #8, skip those that are for

recits.

10.

All ATENEO and Beda reviewers you can get your hands

on. But I did not read the long Beda ones.

11. Every pre-week you can get your hands on. Mine

included: AQUILA, ATENEO, Beda, Arellano, Regina,PRIMUS, and scattered pre-week tips from various profs.

12. Audio lectures - there's a lot of tips in these. Listen during

commutes to maximize your time. Do not listen to these

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going to bed, you will not be able to sleep on time. Do

not listen while reading a book.

13. Past bar exams from 2000-2008. Only read this after you

have studied to test your ability to answer them. After 1st

reading you will find that you still can't answer some of

them. After 2nd reading / round, you should be able to

answer at least 90%. For the 10% you still can't answer,

read and reread the provided answers so they will stick.14. Family Code, RPC, CIV, Consti, and COMM codals. One

good full reading of these will make sure your mind has

read the full law itself, useful for random questions that

make their way into the bar

Study Period

Started May 8. Finished round 1 July 8. Finished round 2 just

before pre-week. I didn't study after graduation; I took a long

vacation.

Number of Readings

Two full rounds plus pre-week. 1st round was mostly books, 2nd

round was mostly long reviewers, then pre-week read pre-weekstuff.


Attended very few of the lectures. I asked someone to record

them instead so I can listen to them during transit from house to

study place and back. During pre-week, attended Jack, Azucena,and Sta. Maria. It’s ok to miss most of the lectures if you can get

audio recordings.

Hardest Subject

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Poli Law. 1st exam and it was very tricky. Ethics is next because itwas long.

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Easiest Subject

Commercial Law, then Tax.


Friday: Check in at hotel at noon, study pre-weeks nonstop till

around 7. Have dinner, study again till 12midnight, then do

relaxing stuff after. Sleep at around 3-4AM.

Saturday: Wake up at noon. Lunch. Study till 6PM. Hear mass. Go

back to room for dinner and some last minute reviewing. In bed

by 10PM. Attempt to sleep. Fail. Continue attempting. Succeed

around 1-2AM.

Sunday: Wake up 4:30. Breakfast, read Tips. Exercise. Game on.

Things to Avoid

Unnecessary stresses, doubting yourself, alcohol, negativities,

and wasting time. During exam day proper: Don't let any question

overwhelm you. If you don't know the answer, skip it. Go back

later when you've answered the rest. Make sure you answer

every question even the ones you don't really have a goodanswer to. Remember to leave room in the booklet for the

questions you skipped. Don't take the bar on an empty stomach,

it will be the longest 4/3 hours of your life repeated 8 times. Poop

during the period between the two exams, and do freshen up by

brushing your teeth and washing your face during lunch break.

Best Kind of Help

The AQUILA LEGIS FRATERNITY. I also had two amazing auxies

(Laura Noel and Mark Encarnacion).

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ATTY. JOAN MAE TO


General Tips

Pray. Be patient. Relax. Don’t force yourself to study if you’re

sleepy or lazy. Try to love what you’re doing. If you don’t feel likestudying a particular subject, then try another subject. Get at

least 8 hours of sleep! During the exam, don’t panic. Make sure

your answers make sense. Be brief and concise, except of course

if the question is alien to you. Study smart. Know what to study. It

is impossible to read and remember everything.

Study Day

I study alone - Starbucks or at home. I easily get distracted so it’s

hard for me to study in groups. Do whatever works for you.I

would normally read 100 - 150 pages a day.

Review Schedule

I have no fixed schedule (like the number of days I should finish asubject). My only goal was to finish at least two readings. My

2nd reading took longer than expected because I made notes for

some subjects. I was not able to review my notes during pre-

week, but some say that taking down notes helps. I rest on

Saturdays.

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Materials Used

Reviewers, generally, don’t work for me, but Ateneo’s pre-week

reviewers were helpful.

Subject Materials

Political Law Nachura

Labor LawEveryone’s Labor Code; for SSS and GSIS, look for Atty. Disini’s

tables.

Civil Law

Jurado for PropertyBalane for Succession

Balane notes for Oblicon

Sempio Dy for Persons

Jurado for Credit transactions, Torts, etc.

Taxation

LawMamalateo and parts of Sababan

Commercial

LawCLV’s book (Although I think reading Sundiang alone will do)

Criminal Law Gregorio but be careful of typosRemedial

Law

Riano for Civpro – I highly recommend this

Regalado for Crimpro, Evidence and Specpro

Legal EthicsAguirre (note: there’s a new Code of Judicial ethics! I only

discovered this during pre-week! Shameful.)

Don’t forget the Codal! If you think there’s no more time for you

to finish the book or reviewer, just read the codal.

Pre-week – Poli and Labor – 2nd reading of Nachura and

Everyone’s

Civ and Tax – codal for both (selective. It’s impossible to

read everything)

Commercial – Sundiang

Crim – I think I read Sandoval (around 200 pages long)

and Rose Rayco’s tables Rem and Ethics – Codal.

Forms – Justice Abad’s handout (Tapcapsa, Tapwacsa,

etc)

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It will be very hard to study on the day after an exam. I think it’sokay to rest.

Study Period

I started reading a bit of Crim before grad. I am not a fast reader

so I had to start early. I finished my first reading end of June, and

finished my second reading on the day before the first exam.

Number of Readings

Two. For Land titles, special penal laws, forms and other subjects

where there’s not much stock knowledge – I think one reading is

enough, but make sure you read them right before September or

the day before the exam.


I attended Atty. Domondon’s tax lecture, Atty. Jack’s lecture on

public officers, admin and election, and all lectures on recent

cases.

Pre-week – I wasn’t able to attend any lecture during the firstweek

Two days of Atty. Montero’s lecture on tax, his notes on recent

cases were helpful

Dean Cynthia Del Castillo’s lecture on oblicon

Atty. Salvador’s lecture on rem (three days)

Note: I heard Atty. Manuel’s pre-week lecture on labor was very

helpful, and Atty. Jack’s lecture on poli, too.

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Hardest Subject

Tax (Pinawisan ako kahit ang lamig sa LaSalle!) Also, there were a

couple of ridiculous true or false questions. If you don’t know the

answer, just write true and repeat/paraphrase the statement.

Easiest Subject

(Not because they’re very easy, but because they’re the most

manageable) Poli only because I was lucky that I just finished my

second reading of Justice Nachura’s book the day before the

exam so everything was still fresh. Civ, except for the conflicts

questions


Attended the mass officiated by Fr. M at Sofitel, where we also

got Divine tips Dinner Studied right before going to sleep

(normally 11 pm to 12 mn, except for the last week – 1 am

because my roommate (Shelly) and I practiced making basic

forms (complaint and information):P I’m glad we did!)

Things to Avoid

While reviewing - Quality over quantity. Make sure you absorb

and understand the things you read. Stop comparing. It’ll drive

you crazy. (It is unavoidable, but please try to avoid it. I’m guilty

of this, and it caused me unnecessary panic attacks.)

While taking the exam/day of the exam - Don’t panic. Eat

breakfast and lunch. Read the tips.

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Best Kind of Help

Don’t change your study habits, especially if it worked for you in

law school. Some people absorb more while cramming, while

others don’t. Rest and Sleep! We are not machines. Know what to

study. It is impossible to read everything so you have to choose

what to read or where to focus, especially during pre-week.

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ATTY. TIMOTHY JOSEPH LUMAUIG


General Tips

First, don’t compare yourself to others. Stick to your own style

and don’t be pressured by what or how other people study. Listen to the suggestions, but be smart enough to follow what

you know works best for you. Second, I heard a quote from my

favorite videogame that sums up my review: “it’s not how many

hours you put in, but what you put in the hours.”

Study Day

To get myself going for the day, I’d go to the gym in the

mornings. After that, I’d usually study by myself, or at most, with

only one or two of my closest friends. I’ve always tried to avoid

studying around other law students, since I read a lot slower than

most people. That way I could keep my own pace without feeling

too pressured. Then I’d end the day by just relaxing. I never

studied into the wee hours of the morning. Doing that would’ve

just burnt me out by September.

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Review Schedule

I wanted to stick to how I studied back in law school. All I used to

do was set aside my chosen material, pick it up and go until I

finish. So I didn’t make a strict review schedule in terms of

number of pages per day or subjects per week or month. Rather,

I set the order of subjects to study, read as much as I could in a

day and just kept tabs on my progress, making sure I’d finish each

subject once before pre-week. Each week, I took Sundays off andalways tried to get at least one night out with my longtime

barkada – people who kept me sane. Again, that was my way to

avoid burning myself out before September.

Materials Used

Generally I used the books I used in law school, especially those I

already had notes in. But for subjects I think I slacked off in, I

used new materials. Also, I made it a point to stick to only one

author or one material per topic under each subject, to avoid

overloading myself with information.

Subject Materials

Political Law

I used Fr. B’s primer for Constitutional Law, and Justice

Nachura’s book for everything else. Then I used Atty. Jac

Jimenez’ recent jurisprudence for pre-week.

Labor LawI used Prof. Azucena’s Everyone’s, but focused a lot during Atty.

Manuel’s pre-week lecture.

Civil Law

I used my notes and materials from Prof. Balane’s Civil Law

Review II in fourth year. Conflicts, I got Sempio-Dy’s book. For

everything else I used Jurado. Pre-week I just used our pre-

week reviewer.

Taxation Law

I used Mamalateo. I later heard there were shorter books, but I

didn’t want to stop midway through just to change books. Ialso put a lot of focus in Atty. Mike Montero’s pre-week lecture.

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Commercial

Law

I used Dean CLV’s book for everything except Dean Abad’sNegotiable Instruments Made Easy, which is what I used in

second year. Then I used Atty. Jac Jiminez’ recent jurisprudence

during pre-week.

Criminal Law

I used Gregorio for book one and a reviewer for book two. I

think there was a shorter book by Boado that I wish I had read

instead to save me a little bit more time. Then I just used our

pre-week reviewer.

RemedialLaw

I used Riano for Civil Procedure, and just a summer reviewer for

everything else. Of course, you have to go straight codal aswell. I did that during pre-week, along with Tranquil’s lecture.

Legal EthicsI just used the Ateneo reviewer, and Dean Abad’s three or four

page memory aid in forms.

Study Period

I tried to start in May and June, but I found myself way too bored

and distracted thinking that the bar exams were still three or fourmonths away at that time. Most days I’d barely make 10

pages. Some days I didn’t read at all. So I figured if my mind really

didn’t want to absorb any information yet, then I shouldn’t force

it. Again, that’s the style I got used to in school. Thankfully, I

finally felt the need to really get going around July. So early that

month, I finished my first subject and kept going strong from

there. To steal a few words from Freddie Roach, maybe startingat the right time allowed me to peak at the right time. So I think

starting in July was just right for me.

Number of Readings

One good one.

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I didn’t attend any review classes over the summer. But I went to

a number of pre-week lectures that helped a whole lot – namely ,

Labor by Atty. Manuel, Succession by Prof. Balane, Tax by Atty.

Mike Montero, Commercial Law by Atty. Jac Jimenez (and I wish I

attended his Political Law as well), and Remedial Law by Atty.

Tranquil Salvador. I would even say that I owe just passing the

bar exams to those professors.

Hardest Subject

Political Law, hands down. I think I got hit by what my friends and

I call, “gulpe de gulat.” After that test, I even told those close to

me that I thought I was going to get DQ’d for it. But thankfully I

realized that more than anything, I was just psyching myself out.

I was just initially shocked by the whole bar exam atmosphere.

Easiest Subject

Civ or Comm, but I’d rather call them the “least difficult.”


Ate well and rested well. Sleep was more important than

cramming. And September means UAAP Final Four, so we’d

always catch the Saturday games on TV just for a get loose… and

for added inspiration too, as we watched the Eagles draw closer

to another title.

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Things to Avoid

Avoid adding unnecessary pressure on yourself. During the

review, don’t get pressured by what books or how many readings

others have already gone through. We all graduated using our

own styles of studying. Stick to what you know. Trust that what

got you through school will get you through the bar exams.

During the tests, do not panic. If you do, it’ll be like quicksand.

Even if there’s one question – or two or three even – that youthink you don’t know the answer to, just shake it off, move on to

the next and come back for it later. Each test may seem like the

longest and toughest one you’ve ever taken, but you’ve gone

through those same feelings in school before. Remember, you

made it through all of those. You can make it through this.

Best Kind of Help

I ran into two of my former teachers during the bar review – one

from law school, one from college. One told me the bar is about

“kompyansa.” The other said “yabang lang yan.” I understood

both to mean “confidence.” That was the best advice I ever got. I

did every little thing I could to help me go into each Sunday

feeling good about myself. I played with my PS3, watched UAAP

games, chose rooms that had my favorite number, wore the sameclothes every Sunday, listened to the same playlist every Sunday

morning and drank with my barkada the last two weeks of August

just to get loose. I did all the things that made me confident

enough to take the bar exams and pass. I believe that everyone

who graduates from the Ateneo Law School is smart enough to

pass. It’s just a matter of each person knowing it.

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ATTY. NAELLA ROSE BAINTO


General Tips

List down your materials, and start gathering them before

you start your review. Make a study schedule to follow, but be open to changes.

Take breaks when you feel like it.

If your study style in law school worked for you, follow

the same style for your review.

Do not forget to pray.

Recent jurisprudence is very important.

Do not forget to answer past exams. You’ll often find yourself staring at nothing or

daydreaming, that’s normal!

Study Day

I reviewed alone, but I’d occasionally consult with some

batchmates the issues I can’t resolve on my own.

My typical study day looks like this:

10:00 am – Wake up

11:00 am – Start studying

2:00 pm – Lunch break

2:30 pm – Back to studying

5:00 pm – Merienda break

5:15 pm – Study again

7:00 pm – Dinner break or movie10:00 pm – Back to studying

2:00 am – Go to sleep

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My daily schedule includes many short washroom,phonecall , stretching, etc. breaks (This will work if you,

like me, have a short attention span.)

I am not really a morning person. My peak hours would

be during the evening up to 1 or 2 am.

I did not adjust my sleep cycle, unlike what most people

have done. The earliest I was able to get up during the

review was at 8 a.m., but I gave up after like 2-3 days ofwaking up this early.

My Dinner break became shorter as it neared September.

Review Schedule

I started my review in May.

I only finished two readings. I was able to finish my firstreading in mid-July.

I do not study on Sundays, except in the month of August.

Materials Used

Subject Materials

Political LawPrimer, Nachura, Beda and Ateneo latest jurisprudence, Agra

Notes, Codal

Labor LawEveryone’s Labor Code, Manuel Notes, Ateneo Summer

Reviewer, Latest jurisprudence, Codal

Civil Law

Jurado, Balane Succession, Sempio-Diy Persons, ObliCon Balane

Outline, PIL by Sempio-Diy, Pre-bar Outline by Candelaria,

Ateneo and Beda latest jurisprudence, Codal

Taxation LawMamalateo, Reyes 1&2, Co-untian, Domondon, Ateneo and

Beda latest jurisprudence, Codal

Commercial

Law

CLV Commercial Law Review, Commercial Law Review by

Sundiang and Aquino, Jac Jimenez Notes, Ateneo and Bedalatest jurisprudence, Codal

Criminal Law Ortega Notes, Boado, latest jurisprudence, Codal

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Remedial Law Beda Memory Aid, Feria Noche and Sabio for reference, latest jurisprudence, Codal

Legal Ethics

and Forms

Aguirre, Pano, Hofilena, Beda Memory Aid, Codal, Forms

Reviewer by (Dean) Justice Abad

Study Period

I started my review on May 4, 2009.

Number of Readings

2 readings only, but very slow and thorough. This was really my

study style even back in law school.


I did enroll in the Ateneo review classes, but did not attend

except for the very first - How to study for the Bar. I felt that

preparing to go to school and travelling to school would take up

so much of my time. And I am able to absorb better, the things I

read rather than the things I hear. It will really depend on what

your style is. Some people, unlike me, absorb better the things

they hear

Hardest Subject

Tax Law, Criminal Law, and Ethics and Forms (because it was long)

Easiest Subject

No easy subject, but there were familiar and answerablequestions in every subject.

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ATTY. SHIELA ABIGAIL GO


General Tips

a. Read books you’ve used. Hopefully, it’s the latest edition.

b. Pace yourself.

c. Read recent jurisprudence (beyond the cut-off date)

d. Prepare good materials for Pre-Week (these are things you

want to remember)

e. Write legibly.

f. Pray, pray, pray.

Study Day

I would just stay in my apartment so that I can concentrate more.

Find a place where you can study and focus. I timed myself atfirst, but after a while, I stopped it. Well, if you're talkative (like

me), then I suggest you study alone because you'll never get

anything done, plus, you wouldn't want to be the reason why

someone else did not get to study for that day. Anything and

everything is more exciting than having to read your books all

over again.

Review Schedule

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I made a schedule. It was on a daily basis. But I lagged behind.

Three readings became two readings. I would allocate a numberof days for each book.

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Materials Used

I'm a book person so I read books. I only read reviewers when I

don't have a book for it.

Subject Materials

Political Law

Nachura (for obvious reasons..) – 2 readings, preweek

Jack Notes on Election and his Recent Jurisprudence (because

you need to read the recent ones, esp those beyond the cut-off)

- 1Candelaria's Poli Notes (I didn't want to read thick materials

already but I heard Magallona is good) - 1

Fr. B's Consti Primer and the Supplement -1

Agra Notes – preweek

Labor Law

Azucena (well, they said that it's comprehensive and short) -2

Summer Reviewer of Ateneo (this was actually good) If you

can, find recent jurisprudence because our exam was full of it. -

preweek

Manuel’s 100 Notes -1

Civil Law

I read Jurado, if I couldn't find another book for it.

Persons-Sempio Diy -2

Succession - Balane (Champ or Book, I think either is okay.

Choose which you are more comfortable with) – first reading

was the Book, 2nd was champ

Balane - Property Notes – for my 2nd reading

The Codal is a must! It’s the only thing I read for Pre-Week. -

here's the thing. Don't get frantic if you don't finish the codal

during the pre-week. A lot of us did not. So if you're the typewho gets paranoid, I think you should start marking things you

want to read and things you think you can forego reading

because you've mastered it. I didn't even read Succession, just

the table on legitimes and intestate. I was banking on my 2

sems with Balane.

Taxation Law

Domondon's star notes- 2nd reading

Mamalateo – 1st reading

Sababan – 2nd reading, Pre-Week

Montero Notes – Pre-WeekNIRC Codal and other laws

I also got a copy of the Summer Reviewer because it was

reviewed by Montero (mainly for comfort).

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Commercial

Law

CLV's Corp, transpo, IP, insurance – 1st readingNego, I read Abad – 1st reading

Sundiang – 2nd reading and pre-week

Jack's recent jurisprudence. (make sure to read this. We had

two or three questions from recent jurisprudence, not sure)

Criminal Law

(I read a lot because I don't understand Crim that well)

Gregorio for 1st reading and the Book 1 for 2nd reading

Boado Book 2 for 2nd reading – I actually like Boado’s book

more. I recommend it

Dean Ortega's Notes for Book 2Some read Peralta. Okay din daw. I got a copy but didn't have

time to read it.

I read the Crim Codal and SPL codal (and made notes there) and

tried my best to differentiate one crime from another. I didn't

even attempt to memorize elements. It's not my thing.

I read Sandoval and Codal for Pre-Week. If I could do it again, I

would have read my Dean Ortega Notes.

There were things in Arellano (Pre-Week) or was it Beda (Pre-

Week Notes) that were helpful during the exam. They saidArturo de Castro made good guesses.

Remedial

Law

Regalado's Crim Pro and SpecPro- 1 reading

Riano's Civ Pro and Evidence.

Beda for Special LAws.

I also read recent jurisprudence of Justice Aquino

The Codal is a must!

Legal Ethics

Beda and Aguirre

Memorize Lawyer’s Oath

I guessed a lot in Ethics.

Forms

Abad's Handout

Scanned Beda Forms but I suggest do Abad and practice making

forms

Study Period

I studied I think for a week though and then I stopped. All I

remember is I finished the Mamalateo Book before Domondon'slecture.

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Number of Readings

Two readings, excluding pre-week. But this does not mean that I

used the same materials for my two readings. For example, my

first reading of Tax was Mamalateo. My second reading was

Sababan. Crim was Gregorio then my second reading was

Boado. This was because I was lagging behind.


Yup, I did but not for all subjects. I went to classes which I

thought were my weak areas.

Hardest Subject

Commercial.

Easiest Subject

Caveat: I don't know my grade (so I could be wrong) but I was

okay when I left the room after the Civ Exam.


I went to mass and after that, I studied. I slept sometimes at 10,

sometimes 11, sometimes 12.

Things to Avoid

You cannot get sick! It's going to destroy your schedule. I always

prayed that I wouldn't get sick (especially getting astomachahce). You don't want that. Pace yourself well. Don't

give your "all" in your first reading because you'll be tired by pre-

week. I was so tired by pre-week. On your second reading, read

as if it's your last reading.

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Best Kind of Help

Prayer, Luck and Great Support System (friends, family,

professors, BarOps)! And we got good tips from the BarOps and

the professors. If lumabas yung mga inaral mo, swerte ka. If hindi,

well, law school life will flash before you.

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ATTY. CESAREO ANTONIO S. SINGZON, JR.


Study Habits

Stick to your studying habits that worked for you in law school. I

would personally find it difficult to suddenly change studyingstyles for the bar.

Some of my personal study habits that have always worked for

me are (1) using red pens instead of highlighters; (2) studying at

starbucks and/or my room; (3) reading on soft couches; (4)

listening to music while studying; (5) drinking my favorite coffee

drink in the morning; (6) reading the newspaper everyday; (7)

going to bed early everyday.

Study Schedule

My original study schedule initially included the whole of May

until September (four months). I was supposed to do three

readings following the old schedule of the bar exams. ((1) poli-

>rem, (2) poli->rem, ethics, (3) rem->poli) However, I was onlyable to start studying about a day or two after the May 2010

National Elections. After several delays along the way, I conceded

that I could only do two readings. So I read poliàrem, ethics,

remàpoli. I finished my first reading around the end of June or

first week of July.

During the early part of my review, I studied from Monday toFriday, starting at around 8 to 9 am and ending around 9 to 10

pm. I would usually set aside anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 ½

hours for each meal (depending if I was way behind schedule or

not).

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Because of unforeseen delays, you might have to study onSaturdays, and even Sundays. By around July, I was studying on

Saturdays. Sundays were usually reserved for relaxing, going out

with the family, etc., but I sometimes sneaked in a couple hours

worth of reading especially during the last two months. My

girlfriend and I always made it a point to hear mass on Sunday.

Don’t worry if you’re behind schedule. Set asidecontingency/buffer days to make sure that you have space for

error and unforeseen delays.

During my bar review, I attended the class on updated

jurisprudence in remedial law, and several pre week classes.

Things to Do

Eat properly and on time during your bar review.

Take vitamins (Vitamin C, Multivitamins) and make sure

you drink lots of water.

Prepare your study materials before you go to bed, so

you don’t have to do it in the morning.

Brush your teeth to avoid toothaches.

Get organized, set aside a box for each subject. Always get enough sleep especially before the exam day.

Try to stick to your schedule. Don’t take shortcuts.

Read codal.

Pace yourself.

If you think something you read is important, write it

down on a sticky note and stick it to your

books/reviewer.

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Favorite Materials

My favorite materials were the books and reviewers I read in law

school (Regalado, Jurado, Mamalateo, Peralta Notes, Ortega

Notes). I also made sure I covered all the codal provisions

required.

I read both Ateneo and San Beda Reviewers.

My girlfriend also made a nice list of books and reviewers by

including al

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