On 31 July 2007, UP President Emerlinda R. Roman approved the Change in Degree Title from Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) to Juris Doctor (J.D.). The J.D. program entails a study of general principles and basic theories of law as an intellectual discipline, as well as a systematic and analytical examination of the specific codes and statutory enactments in force in the Philippines, together with interpretative court decisions and other pertinent materials. Closely studied are the civil law basis of most private laws of the country and the common law concept embodied in the public laws and derived particularly from Anglo-American jurisprudence. Consequently, the materials of study are textbooks, statutes, cases, and other authoritative works on law and jurisprudence.

Applicants to the program leading to Juris Doctor (J.D.) are required to have satisfactorily completed in an authorized university or college a bachelor’s degree in arts or science with any of the following subjects as major or field of concentration:

Political Science

Philosophy

English

Economics

History

A bachelor’s degree holder in a field other than those mentioned above must have earned the following minimum number of units:

A qualified applicant, who passes the Law Aptitude Examination (LAE), must undergo an interview. The UP LAE is usually administered in the 2nd week of February in seven (7) testing centers (UP Diliman, UP Baguio, UP Cebu, UP Visayas, UP Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro City, Naga City). Registration starts in November.

Holders of graduate degrees are not exempted from taking the test.

No student will be admitted to the College unless the Committee on Student Admissions recommends his/her admission. The College has a “no deferment” policy. Those admitted to the College but do not enroll or enroll in the first semester but drop all courses will have to re-take the LAE.

Only those who are employed full-time are permitted to enroll in the evening classes.

Classes

The College holds classes from Monday to Saturday. Classes under the five-year program for evening students generally start at 6:00 P.M. and end at 9:00 P.M.

Graduation requirements

All the courses offered in the College are required to be taken in residence. The satisfactory completion of each of them is required for graduation (133 units for both day and evening students).

All senior students must satisfactorily complete 8 units (two semesters) of the practicum component of their course before graduation. Additionally, all senior students are required to submit a publishable paper under the guidance of a Faculty Adviser.

For the grant of the Juris Doctor degree, besides the completion of all courses, the candidate must attain a general weighted average of not less than 2.75 computed on the basis of units at the end of the law course.