GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/02 March) – The Mindanao State University’s (MSU) College of Law extension campus here has produced 11 new lawyers as the college’s passing average improved significantly in the 2011 bar examinations.
Lawyer Mariano Lugares, dean of the MSU-General Santos College of Law, said Friday the 11 new lawyers were among its 34 graduates that took the bar examinations held at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) campus in Manila last November.
He said the college posted a passing average of 32.35 percent in the 2011 bar exams based on the results released by the Supreme Court last Wednesday.
“It was higher than the national passing average of 31.93 percent and a big leap from the 18 percent average last year,” Lugares said.
Of the 11 bar passers, he said eight were fresh graduates of the college while the three others were second takers.
The new lawyers from the college were Alma Lagayan, Libertine Cagang, Marnito Cosep Jr., Sheila Mae Jagolino, Cornelio Griño Jr., Mary Grace Guirhem, Ma. Jasmine Lood, Sittie Tonina Macasayon, Glenda Narcilla, Anthony Pantua and Ruby Jane Peña-Careña.
Lugares said most of the bar passers were working students from the city and nearby provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani.
He said the college has been catering mainly to working students since it was mainly established to accommodate them.
“They (working students) are quite disciplined, especially with their time. I think that helped greatly for most of our successful bar passers these past years,” he said.
Lugares said the college is satisfied with the performance of their graduates in the 2011 bar examination but cited that they continually improving their standards in a bid to produce more quality lawyers.
He added that among the college’s current faculty pool are veteran trial lawyers, lawyers-turned-politicians and trial court judges based in the area. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)