Cramming at its finest.

Nobody from our family is a lawyer. I will be the first if given the chance to take up and complete law. Coming from a family of businessmen, I grew up thinking that I myself would become one. My Business Management degree from the Ateneo, I thought, confirmed my supposed destiny. Yet in my last year in college, as I screened out and reflected on my values, I realized that doing business is not so much my interest as law is. I did well in my chosen degree. But I didn’t find my happiness there. It was at that moment when I thought, maybe I am meant to follow a path different from what everybody else from my family has taken. Reasons, therefore, are personal rather than genetic.

My reasons range from the shallow to the deep. They’re shallow simply
because I took interest in watching legal shows and movies as a sign of interest in law. Whether it was the ridiculous scenes in Ally McBeal or the courtroom dramas in The Practice or Boston Legal, I sure did take pleasure seeing them. Even the legal jargons used in these shows or movies like Legally Blonde and Runaway Jury, I found pleasure hearing. On the other hand, while the works of John Grisham are the only books dealing with legal matters I’ve read, I consider them few of the best. Not because they were hard to put down, but instead due to the mental images they created in my head. I would take great pleasure to take part or be a witness to one of the situations Mr. Grisham has created.

A more self-centered, though deeper, reason for wanting to take up law would be my desire to improve my argumentation and critical thinking skills. Taking part in a moot or even in a self-debate would definitely contribute a lot to those goals. Being a lawyer provides the best avenue to develop such skills. Apart from the shows and movies that I enjoy seeing, I also take pleasure in keeping myself updated on the current political situation of our country as well as the others. However, in many instances, I have found myself groping for legal information just so I could more thoroughly understand and form a stronger opinion on the matters being
discussed. It is only by studying law will I be able to form that stronger and much acceptable and fairer opinion about something and someone.

Perhaps what would qualify as the biggest and deepest reason behind my desire to study law would be my yearning to be of service to people on a more personal level. Having compared being a businessman to being a lawyer, I have come to the realization that the fulfillment one gets as a lawyer is deeper and far more personal than as a businessman. While the latter’s impact on the lives of people may be wider, whether through the distribution of household materials, clothes or food, I still believe that the former creates a more lasting impact, while also setting aside the idea of how much earnings one gets from the job. While businesses benefit more people in general, it is still difficult to ignore that one business functions and survives on the idea of gaining profits rather than of rendering service to the public.

Furthermore, the hard work one exerts for someone in order to win his case, whether that person was the victim or the sinner, bears a much sweeter fruit in the end. Thinking about the responsibility and reliance I get from someone who is in dire need of being saved from incarceration or
financial distress is enough to motivate me to spend days, weeks or even months just to answer to that person’s legal needs. While this may be seen as yet another issue of personal fulfillment, without a doubt it still creates a deep impact on the life of the person seeking for the lawyer’s services.
I am one person who likes taking charge, having responsibilities and more importantly, getting the work done then winning. It is in these values that I see myself suitable for the profession.

Now while I can study law here in the Philippines or
the United States, I chose England instead. As a kid, I’ve dreamt of being there someday. I have always envisioned the country as lovely- lovely buildings, love people, and lovely atmosphere. Until now, it still remains a childhood dream and my decision to take up law there brings me a step closer to fulfilling that dream. Irrational as it may sound, I seem to have formed an attachment to the country. Maybe it’s as simple as being a big fan of the country’s national football team or maintaining the childhood images I had of it.

But it could also be as complex as, well, retaining the inexplicable personal attachment I’ve formed throughout the years.

On a more practical note, the cost of education in England is much cheaper than in the US while the quality may be at par or even better. While the cost of living is much more expensive, I believe that this can easily be recuperated the moment one earns in the same currency; only several years of work should be enough. Lastly, my decision to study in England is my decision to veer away from the path many Filipinos have decided to take- the bandwagon of acquiring higher education in the
US. The country has become overly Americanized that many automatically limit their options for leaving and studying to the US; but I may be wrong. I guess it’s just time that more people take a look at what England has to offer. And I am doing it.