The Legal Education Board (LEB), with support from The Asia Foundation and the U.S. Department of State – International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office, launched the Revised Model Law Curriculum (RMLC) of the Basic Law Program or the LEB Memorandum Order (LEBMO) No. 24, series of 2021, and the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) website through a virtual activity on October 14, 2021.
The RMLC aims to modernize the curriculum, by improving on tested elements and introducing innovations both in course design and pedagogy. The curriculum revision is designed to achieve the important balance in shepherding academic freedom and government supervision over legal education for the public interest in the development of excellent, ethical, and innovative legal professionals committed to the rule of law. The total minimum academic load has been reduced to 135 units averaging only 17 units per semester. Further, the mandated courses have also been rationalized and updated to consider the demands of law practice.
The curriculum allows for specialization through academic tracking subject to the school’s discretion, and such other guidelines as may be issued by the Board. The adoption of the RMLC is optional for law schools in the Academic Year 2021-2022. It shall be mandatory beginning the Academic Year 2022-2023.
With LEBMO No. 24, the clinical legal education has been fully integrated in the curriculum to comply with Rules 138 and 138-A of the Rules of Court. A series of CLEP trainings and seminars have been spearheaded by the LEB in partnership with The Asia Foundation to capacitate the law schools in implementing the CLEP. The CLEP website is a portal geared to assist CLEP implementers in complying with the Revised Rule 138-A or the Revised Law Student Practice Rule. It also contains all relevant information in establishing law clinics and a platform to make legal services more accessible to the public.
Click here to access the CLEP Website Briefer.