Section 1. Coverage. - This rule shall cover the limited practice of law by students certified herein. The limited practice of law covers appearances, drafting and submission of pleadings and documents before trial and appellate courts and quasi-judicial and administrative bodies, assistance in mediation and other alternative modes of dispute resolution, legal counselling and advice, and such other activities that may be covered by the Clinical Legal Education Program of the law school as herein provided.
Section 2. Definition of Terms. -
(a) Clinical Legal Education Program is an experiential, interactive and reflective credit-earning teaching course with the objectives of providing law students with practical know ledge, skills and values necessary for the application of the law, delivery of legal services and promotion of social justice and public interest, especially to the marginalized, while inculcating in the students the values of ethical lawyering and public service. It consists of learning activities covered by this Rule undertaken in either al) law clinic or an 2) externship, which shall incorporate the teaching of legal theory and doctrines, practical skills, as well as legal ethics.
(b) Externship is part of the clinical legal educational program if: (a) it allows students to engage in legal work for the marginalized sectors or for the promotion of social justice and public interest, and (b) it is undertaken with any of the following: (i) the courts, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), government offices; and (ii) law school-recognized non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
(c) Law Clinic refers to an office or center which is a component of the law school's clinical legal education program that renders legal assistance and services as herein provided to eligible persons, groups, and/or communities.
(d) Law Student Practitioner is a law student certified under Section 3 of this Rule.
(e) Supervising Lawyer refers to a member of the Philippine Bar in good standing who is authorized by the law school to supervise the law student practitioner under this Rule.
Section 3. Eligibility Requirements of Law Student Practitioners. - No law student shall be permitted to engage in any of the activities under the Clinical Legal Education Program of a law school unless the law student has applied for and secured the following certifications:
(a) Level 1 certification, for law students who have successfully completed their first-year law courses; and/ or
(b) Level 2 ce1iification, for law students currently enrolled for the second semester of their third-year law courses: Provided however, where a student fails to complete all their third-year law courses, the Level 2 certification shall be deemed automatically revoked.
The certification issued shall be valid until the student has completed the required number of courses in the clinical legal education program to complete the law degree, unless sooner revoked for grounds stated herein.
Section 4. Practice Areas of Law Student Practitioners. - Subject to the supervision and approval of a supervising lawyer, a certified law student practitioner may:
For Level 1 Certification
(1) Interview prospective clients;
(2) Give legal advice to the client;
(3) Negotiate for and on behalf of the client;
(4) Draft legal documents such as affidavits, compromise agreements, contracts, demand letter, position papers, and the like;
(5) Represent eligible parties before quasi-judicial or administrative bodies;
(6) Provide public legal orientation; and
(7) Assist in public interest advocacies for policy formulation and implementation.
For Level 2 Certification
(1) Perform all activities under Level 1 Certification;
(2) Assist in the taking of depositions and/or preparing judicial affidavits of witnesses;
(3) Appear on behalf of the client at any stage of the proceedings or trial, before any court, quasi-judicial or administrative body;
(4) In criminal cases, subject to the provisions of Section 5, Rule 110 of the Rules of Court, to appear on behalf of a government agency in the prosecution of criminal actions; and
(5) In appealed cases, to prepare the pleadings required in the case.
Section 5. Certification Application Requirements. - The law student must submit a duly-accomplished application form under oath in three (3) copies, accompanied by proof of payment of the necessary legal and filing fees.1âшphi1
The law school, through the dean or the authorized representative, shall submit to the Office of the Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) having jurisdiction over the territory where the law school is located, the duly-accomplished application form together with an endorsement under oath.
Level 1 Certification
The Executive Judge of the RTC shall evaluate, approve, and issue the certification within ten (10) days from receipt of the application. The Level 1 certification issued under this provision shall be valid before all courts, quasi-judicial and administrative bodies within the judicial region where the law school is located.
Level 2 Certification
Within ten (10) days from receipt of the application, the Executive Judge of the RTC shall (a) evaluate the application together with its attachments, and (b) recommend to the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) the approval and issuance of the certification. If the Executive Judge finds the application to be incomplete, the law school shall be notified and required to comply with the requirements within five (5) days from receipt of notice.
The Level 2 certification issued under this provision shall be valid before all courts, quasi-judicial and administrative bodies.
Section 6. Duties of Law Student Practitioners. - Acting under a certification, the law student practitioner shall:
(a) Observe the provisions of Section 24(b), Rule 130 of the Rules of Court;
(b) Be prohibited from using information acquired in one's capacity as a law student practitioner for personal or commercial gain;
(c) Perform the duties and responsibilities to the best of one's abilities as a law student practitioner; and
(d) Strictly observe the Canons of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Section 7. Use of Law Student Practitioner's Name. -A law student practitioner may sign briefs, pleadings, letters, and other similar documents which the student has produced under the direction of the supervising lawyer, indicating the law student practitioner's certificate number as required under this Rule.
Section 8. Law Student Practitioner's Oath/Affirmation. - A law student who has been issued a certificate under this Rule must, before performing the activities allowed herein, take an oath in the following form:
"I, ( name ), having been granted a certificate of law student practice by the Supreme Court under Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will maintain allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines, I will support the Constitution and obey the laws as well as the legal orders of the duly constituted authorities therein; I will do no falsehood, nor consent to the doing of any in court; I will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit, or give aid nor consent to the same; I will delay no man for money or malice, and will conduct myself as a certified law student practitioner according to the best of my knowledge and discretion, with all good fidelity as well to the courts as to the parties I represent; and I impose upon myself these voluntary obligations without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me God."
Section 9. Duties of Law Schools. - The law school, through its dean or authorized representative, must:
(a) Develop and adopt a Clinical Legal Education Program;
(b) Develop and establish at least one law clinic in its school;
(c) Endorse qualified students for certification as law student practitioner under this Rule. Such endorsement shall constitute as a certification that the dean or authorized representative knows that the applicant is a student enrolled in the Clinical Legal Education course, possesses good moral character, and has met the requirements of Section 3 of this Rule; and
(d) Ensure compliance by law student practitioners and supervising lawyers with the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Section 10. Qualification of Supervising Lawyers. - A supervising lawyer under this Rule shall be a member of the bar in good standing.
Section 11. Duties of Supervising Lawyers. - The following are the duties of a supervising lawyer:
(a) Supervise such number of certified law student practitioners as far as practicable;
(b) Personally appear with the law student practitioner in all cases pending before the second-level courts and in all other cases the supervising lawyer determines that his or her presence is required;
(c) Assume personal professional responsibility for any work performed by the certified law student practitioner while under his or her supervision;
(d) Assist and advise the certified law student practitioner in the activities authorized by these rules and review such activities with the certified law student practitioner, all to the extent required for the proper practical training of the certified law student practitioner and the protection of the client;
(e) Read, approve, and personally sign any pleadings, briefs or other similar documents prepared by the certified law student practitioner prior to the filing thereof, and read and approve any documents which shall be prepared by the certified law student practitioner for execution by the eligible party; and
(f) Provide the level of supervision to the certified law student practitioner required by these rules.
Section 12. Clinical Faculty. - Law schools shall have such number of faculty members to teach clinical legal education courses as may be necessary to comply with this Rule.
Section 13. Sanctions. - (a) Without prejudice to existing laws, rules, regulations, and circulars, the following shall be considered as unauthorized practice of law by a certified law student practitioner –
i. Engaging in any of the acts provided in Section 4 of this Rule without the necessary certification or without the consent and supervision of the supervising lawyer;
ii. Making false representations in the application for certification;
iii. Using an expired certification to engage in the limited practice of law under this Rule;
iv. Rendering legal services outside the scope of the practice areas allowed under Section 4 of this Rule;
v. Asking for or receiving payment or compensation for services rendered under the Clinical Legal Education Program as provided in this Rule; and
vi. Such other analogous circumstances.
Unauthorized practice of law shall be a ground for revocation of the law student practitioner's certification and/or disqualification for a law student from taking the bar examination for a period to be determined by the Supreme Court.
(b) The above provisions notwithstanding, any act constituting a violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility shall subject the supervising lawyer, Clinical Legal Education Program Head, and/or law school dean to disciplinary action, as the circumstances may warrant.
Section 14. Effectivity. - This rule shall take effect at the start of Academic Year 2020-2021 following its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. The requirements under second paragraph of Section 5, Rule 138 as amended by A.M. No. 19-03-24-SC dated June 25, 2019 shall apply to bar examination applicants commencing the 2023 bar examinations.
