Philippine Bar Examination
The Philippine Bar Examination is the professional licensure examination for lawyers in the Philippines. The exam is exclusively administered by the Supreme Court of the Philippines through the Supreme Court Bar Examination Committee.
Brief history
The first Philippine Bar Exams was conducted in 1901 with only 13 examinees. The third Philippine Bar Exam took place in 1903 but the results were released in 1905. José I. Quintos obtained the highest rating of 96.33%, Sergio Osmeña, Sr. was second with 95.66%, F. Salas was third with 94.5% and Manuel L. Quezon fourth with 87.83%. The first bar exam in 1901 has only 13 examinees, while the 2008 bar examination is the 107th. The 2016 bar exam had the highest number of passers 3747 out of 6344 examinees, However, the Supreme Court of the Philippines' Office of the Bar Confidant announced that 7,227 candidates will take the 2017 Bar examinations.Past Bar examinations were conducted every September at De La Salle University, however, due to security concerns after the 2010 Philippine Bar exam bombing, The Supreme Court moved the examinations to University of Santo Tomas every November.
The most notable was the 1999 bar examinations which recorded the lowest passing rate of 16.59% or with a total number of 660 successful examinees. Also, the 2003 bar exam was marred by controversy when the Court ordered a retake of the Mercantile law due to questionnaire leakage. In 2005, the High Tribunal implemented the "five-strike" rule, which disqualifies five-time flunkers from taking future bar exams.
Admission requirements
A bar candidate must meet the following academic qualifications:- Holder of a professional degree in law from a recognized law school in the Philippines
- Holder of a bachelor's degree with academic credits in certain required subjects from a recognized college or university in the Philippines or abroad.
- A Filipino citizen.
- At least twenty-one years of age.
- A resident of the Philippines.
- Satisfactory evidence of good moral character.
- No charges involving moral turpitude have been filed against the candidate or are pending in any court in the Philippines.
Committee of Bar Examiners
The Supreme Court appoints memberships in the Committee of Bar Examiners, the official task force for formulating bar exam questions, instituting policy directives, executing procedures, grading bar examination papers, and releasing the results of the annual bar examination.The committee is chaired by an incumbent Justice of the Supreme Court, who is designated by the Supreme Court to serve for a term of one year. The members of the committee includes eight members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, who also hold office for a term of one year. While the Justice who shall act as chairman is immediately known, committee members must exert every effort to conceal their identities until the oath-taking of the successful bar examinees, approximately six months after the bar exam.
| Year | Bar Exam Chairperson |
| 2001 | Associate Justice Sabino De Leon Jr. |
| 2002 | Associate Justice Vicente Mendoza |
| 2003 | Associate Justice Jose Vitug |
| 2004 | Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing |
| 2005 | Associate Justice Romeo Callejo Sr. |
| 2006 | Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez |
| 2007 | Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna |
| 2008 | Associate Justice Dante Tiñga |
| 2009 | Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura |
| 2010 | Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales |
| 2011 | Associate Justice Roberto A. Abad |
| 2012 | Associate Justice Martin Villarama |
| 2013 | Associate Justice Arturo Brion |
| 2014 | Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta |
| 2015 | Associate Justice Teresita de Castro |
| 2016 | Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. |
| 2017 | Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin |
| 2018 | Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo |
| 2019 | Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe |
| 2020 | Associate Justice Marvic Leonen |
Bar review programs
Candidates who meet all the admission requirements usually enroll in special review classes after graduating from law school. These programs are held from April to September in law schools, colleges, universities, and review centers.Program schedule, content, and delivery differs from one review program to another. Lecturers in these programs are called bar reviewers. They are usually full-time professors and part-time professorial lecturers in law schools and universities. Most review programs invite incumbent and retired justices and high ranking public officials both as a marketing tool and as a program innovation.
Coverage
Bar examinations is conducted during all four Sundays of the month of November. Two bar subjects shall be taken every week, one is scheduled in the morning while another is in the afternoon. The examination covers the following topics and their associated subtopic, popularly known as the bar subjects:First Week
- Political Law
- Labor Law
- Civil Law
- Taxation
- Mercantile Laws
- Criminal Law
- Remedial Law
- Legal and Judicial Ethics
Grading system
| Subject | Weight' |
| Civil Law | 15% |
| Labor Law and Social Legislation | 10% |
| Mercantile Law | 15% |
| Criminal Law | 10% |
| Political and International Law | 15% |
| Taxation | 10% |
| Remedial Law | 20% |
| Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises | 5% |
The passing average fixed by law is 75%, with no grade falling below 50% in any bar subject.
Passing average vs. Passing rate
The passing average is the minimum grade in the exam required to be admitted to the practice of law. The passing rate is the proportion of total number of bar passers in relation to the total number of bar examinees. It is usually computed on two levels—the national level, and the law school level.In the past, passing averages were considerably lower to admit more new lawyers. Since 1982, the passing average has been fixed at 75%. This has led to a dramatic decrease in the national passing rate of bar examinees, from an all-time high of 75.17% in 1954 to an all-time low of 16.59% in 1999. In recent years, the annual national bar passing rate ranges from 20% to 30%.
Law school passing rates
The most recent ranking for the top ten law schools in the Philippines by the Legal Education Board is based on the cumulative performance of law schools in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Bar Examinations. The list only included law schools which had 20 or more examinees:- University of the Philippines
- Ateneo de Manila University
- San Beda College-Manila
- University of San Carlos
- Ateneo de Davao University
- University of Santo Tomas
- University of Cebu
- San Beda College-Alabang
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
- Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan
Role of the Supreme Court, Criticisms
Prior to 1982, the passing mark jumped unpredictably from year to year: 69.45 percent in 1946; 69 in 1947; 70 in 1948, 1963, 1972 and 1974; 71 in 1961; 71.5 in 1953, 1964 and 1965; 72 in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1967; 72.5 in 1954, 1962 and 1981; 73 in 1950, 1956, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1978 and 1980; 73.5 in 1955 and 1979; 74 in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1966, 1971, 1973 and 1977; and 74.5 in 1976.
In 1954, the Court lowered the passing grade to 72.5%, even if the passing percentage was already at its highest at 75.17%.
In 1999, moves to lower the passing grade to 74% failed, after Justice Fidel Purisima, bar committee chairman failed to disclose that his nephew took the examination. He was censured and his honoraria was reduced to half.
Increasing difficulty
The difficulty of the recent bar examinations, compared to exams of the past, can be attributed to the following factors:- The growing volume of Philippine case and statutory laws is unprecedented. Laws, jurisprudence, and legal doctrines of the past constitute only a small fraction of contemporary Philippine legal materials, which are increasing on a daily basis.
- The 75% passing average with no grade lower than 50% in any subject is already fixed by law. Actual candidates who scored 74.99% in the general average were not admitted to the practice of law, unless they retake the bar exams.
- The Three-Failure Rule is now in place. Candidates who have failed the bar exams for three times are not permitted to take another bar exam until they re-enroll and pass regular fourth-year review classes and attend a pre-bar review course in an approved law school.
- The Five-Strike Rule is implemented since 2005. The rule limits to five the number of times a candidate may take the Bar exams. The rule disqualifies a candidate after failing in three examinations. However, he is permitted to take fourth and fifth examinations if he successfully completes a one-year refresher course for each examination. On September 3, 2013, the Supreme Court, issued a resolution, lifting the five-strike rule on bar repeaters.
- The four-year bachelor's degree is required before admission to law school. Hence, every bar examinee has to hold at least two degrees—one in law and one in another field. In the past, law schools readily admit high school graduates and two-year Associate in Arts degree holders.
Waiting period
The largely essay-type exams are manually checked by members of the Committee of Bar Examiners. Candidates have to wait from the last Sunday of the bar exams in September up to the date of the release of results, which traditionally happens before or during the Holy Week of the following year.During this period, candidates may opt to work in law firms and courts as legal researchers, teach in liberal arts and business colleges, function in companies and organizations using their pre-law degrees, help run the family business, or take a long vacation.
Admission of successful bar examinees
The Office of the Bar Confidant of the Philippine Supreme Court releases the Official List of Successful Bar Examinees, usually during the last week of March or the first week of April of every year. Candidates whose names appear in the list are required to take and subscribe before the Supreme Court the corresponding Oath of Office.Candidates shall take an Oath of Office and sign their names in the Roll of Attorneys of the Supreme Court. The oath-taking is usually held in May at the Philippine International Convention Center with a formal program where all Justices of the Supreme Court, sitting en banc, formally approve the applications of the successful bar candidates. The eight bar examiners are officially introduced to the public. A message to the newly inducted lawyers is delivered by one of the justices. Candidates who made the bar top ten list are also introduced and honored. The deans of all Philippine law schools are requested to attend the ceremony and grace the front seats of the plenary hall.
Controversies
In the 1930s, a distant relative of Imelda Romualdez Marcos who was a Justice in the High Court resigned after a controversy involving the bar examinations.Justice Ramon Fernandez was forced to protect his name and honor when he resigned because of a bar examination scandal.
On November 23, 1979, the High Court, per Justice Pacifico de Castro ordered new examinations in labor and social legislation and taxation.
On May 7, 1982, 12 of the Supreme Court's 14 justices resigned amid expose "that the court fixed the bar-examination score of a member's son so that he would pass." Justice Vicente Ericta was accused to have personally approached the bar chairman to inquire whether his son passed the bar. Ferdinand Marcos accepted the resignations and appointed new justices. Chief Justice Enrique Fernando wept at a news conference as he accepted responsibility for rechecking and changing the exam score of Gustavo Ericta, son of Justice Vicente Ericta.
Associate Justice Fidel Purisima, chairman of the bar committee, did not disclose that he had a nephew who was taking the bar examination in that year. He was merely censured and his honoraria as bar examiner were forfeited.
On September 24, 2003, the Supreme Court, per a bleary-eyed Associate Justice Jose Vitug, annulled the tests results on mercantile law after "confirmation of what could be the most widespread case of cheating in the 104-year-old bar exams".
Bar topnotchers
Bar topnotchers are bar examinees who garnered the highest bar exam grades in a particular year. Every year, the Supreme Court releases the bar top ten list. The list contains the names of bar examinees who obtained the ten highest grades. It is possible for more than ten examinees to place in the top ten because numerical ties in the computation of grades usually occur.From 1913 to 2019, schools which have produced bar topnotchers are as follows:
- University of the Philippines College of Law – 49 bar topnotchers
- Ateneo de Manila Law School – 23 bar topnotchers
- San Beda College of Law – 8 bar topnotchers
- Philippine Law School – 5 bar topnotchers
- University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law – 4 bar topnotchers
- Far Eastern University Institute of Law – 4 bar topnotcher
- University of Manila College of Law – 4 bar topnotchers
- University of the Cordilleras College of Law – 2 bar topnotchers
- University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance – 1 bar topnotcher
- University of the East College of Law – 1 bar topnotcher
- University of St. La Salle Institute of Law – 1 bar topnotcher
- University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi College of Law – 1 bar topnotcher
- Manuel L. Quezon University College of Law – 1 bar topnotcher
- San Sebastian College - Recoletos School of Law – 1 bar topnotcher
- University of San Agustin College of Law – 1 bar topnotcher
- Holy Name University College of Law – 1 bar topnotcher
- Manila Law College Foundation – 1 bar topnotcher
- Jose W. Diokno – former Senator of the Philippines; 1st placer, 1945 bar exams. Mr. Diokno, who tied for Number One with former Senate President Jovito Salonga in the 1945 Bar Exams, would have graduated from the University of Santo Tomas had not World War II supervened. Mr. Diokno's success in the bar exams is further underscored by the fact that he was also under-age and that he also placed number 1 in the 1940 CPA Board exams which he took while in law school, summa cum laude after graduating from then De La Salle College at the age of 17. This double number 1 feat may never be paralleled. The closest may have been Cesar L. Villanueva who placed second in the 1981 Bar Exams and sixth place in the 1982 CPA Board Exams and Reginald Laco who placed fourth in the 2015 Bar Exams and second in the 2009 CPA Board Exams.
- Carolina C. Griño-Aquino – former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; 1st placer, 1950 bar exams. Ms. Aquino was a special student of the UP College of Law, where she finished her last two years of law school having taken her first two years of law school at the Colegio de San Agustin in Iloilo. Ms. Aquino was advised to take her last two years of law school in UP by Colegio de San Agustin Law Dean Felipe Ysmael. Coincidentally, Mr. Ysmael placed number 1 in the 1917 Bar Exams. Since Ms. Aquino only took her last two years of law at UP, she can't be certified as an official UP law graduate. Both spouses Aquino also served as Justices of the Supreme Court.
While not a guarantee for topping the bar, academic excellence in law school is a good indicator of an examinee's fortune in the bar exams. Ateneo Law School's only summa cum laude graduate, Claudio Teehankee, placed number one in the 1940 Bar Exams. It is worth noting that Teehankee's son, Manuel Antonio, followed in his footsteps by graduating at the top of his Ateneo Law School class and placing first in the 1983 bar exams. Claudio's nephew, Enrique, also placed number one in the 1976 bar exams. Claudio eventually became Supreme Court Chief Justice, Manuel was formerly Department of Justice Undersecretary and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland while Enrique is a successful private practitioner.
This father-son-nephew feat has yet to be equalled in the annals of Philippine Bar. For siblings, the closest is when Manuel B. Zamora, Jr. placed third in the 1961 Bar Exams and younger brother Ronaldo placed first in the 1969 Bar Exams.
The UST Faculty of Civil Law's sole summa cum laude graduate, Roberto B. Concepcion, placed first in the 1924 Bar Exams. He later served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The San Beda College of Law's sole magna cum laude graduate, Florenz Regalado, ranked 1st in the 1954 Bar exams with a mark of 96.70%. The record is the highest average in the Philippine Bar Examinations, to date. Regalado later served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
The UP College of Law had five of its seventeen magna cum laude graduates place number one in their respective bar exams: Rafael Dinglasan in 1925, Lorenzo Sumulong in 1929, Deogracias Eufemio in 1962, Roberto San Jose in 1966 and Ronaldo Zamora in 1969. Dinglasan became a Judge of the Court of First Instance of Manila, Sumulong became Senator of the Republic and a renowned statesman, Eufemio and San Jose established their respective successful private law practices while Zamora became Executive Secretary to then President Joseph Estrada and is currently the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives.
Bar Topnotchers List
The Office of the Bar Confidant releases an official Bar Topnotchers list together with the list of names of all successful bar examinees. The Bar Topnotchers list contains the names of the candidates who garnered the highest general averages in the bar exam for that year. The highest ranking candidate in the list is known as the bar topnotcher. The list has always been the subject of much media attention and public speculation.Making a place in the list is widely regarded as an important life achievement, an attractive professional qualification, and a necessary improvement in a lawyer's professional and social status.
Below is a listing of all 106 first-placers and can be rearranged from highest to lowest in terms of rating obtained. Bar ratings are not exactly comparable from year-to-year as the difficulty of the exams varies through the years. Two bar examinations took place in 1946, first in August to cover the absence of the examination the previous year and in November for the present year. There was a tie in first place in two occasions – in 1944 and in 1999.
Highest and lowest topnotcher grades
A standard was created in 1940, when Claudio Teehankee, from the Ateneo Law School, got a grade of 94.35% when he topped the examinations. This record was obliterated four years later in 1944 when Jovito Salonga and Jose W. Diokno tied with the highest score of 95.3%. This was the first time that first place ended in a tie. When they took the 1944 Bar Exams, Atty. Salonga was an undergraduate at the UP College of Law while Atty. Diokno was an undergraduate of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law. After passing the bar, Atty. Salonga went back to UP to complete his bachelor's degree in law, earning it in 1946. The only other instance of a tie at first place of the bar exams was when Edwin Enrile and Florin Hilbay both garnered the same score in 1999. Atty. Enrile served as Deputy Executive Secretary to President Gloria Arroyo and as a Professorial Lecturer at the Ateneo Law School while Atty. Hilbay is a Professor of Law at the UP College of Law and the current Solicitor General. After another four years, the "bar" was raised a few notches when Manuel G. Montecillo of the Far Eastern University Institute of Law got a grade of 95.50% when he bested all the bar examinees of 1948. The following year, another record was set when Anacleto C. Mañgaser, an alumnus of the Philippine Law School, got a grade of 95.85% when he topped the 1949 bar exams.The lowest grade was obtained by Ateneo Law School's Mercedita L. Ona, 83.55%, 2007, which erased the prior record of 84.10%, obtained by Adolfo Brillantes of Escuela de Derecho de Manila in 1920. Atty. Ona was the just the latest of women first placers. In 1930, Tecla San Andres broke the proverbial "glass ceiling" when she became the first woman to top the bar with a grade of 89.4%. Ameurfina A. Melencio has the highest grade of all female bar topnotchers in recorded history, when she obtained a 93.85% rating in 1947.
Below is a listing of all 100 first-placers ranked from highest to lowest in terms of rating obtained. The bar ratings are not exactly comparable from year-to-year as the difficulty of the exams varies through the years.
Highest scores in specific bar subjects
While no bar examinee has ever reached a 100% general average, several bar examinees have garnered perfect and near-perfect grades in specific bar subjects.| Subject | Name | School | Score | Year | Place in Bar Rankings |
| Civil Law | Bj Bonn D. Pusta | Ateneo de Davao University | 100% | 2017 | |
| Labor Law and Social Legislation | Gladys Gervacio | University of Perpetual Help-Rizal | 100% | 2005 | 6th |
| Mercantile Law | Anacleto C. Mañgaser | Philippine Law School | 100% | 1949 | 1st |
| Mercantile Law | Juan Ponce Enrile | University of the Philippines | 100% | 1953 | 11th |
| Mercantile Law | Johanna Celine Mari A. Chan | University of the Philippines | 100% | 2019 | |
| Criminal Law | Renato Franciso | Ateneo De Manila University | 100% | 1973 | |
| Criminal Law | Jesus Paolo U. Protacio | Ateneo De Manila University | 100% | 2001 | 2nd |
| Criminal Law | Jose Calida | Ateneo de Davao University | 100% | 1973 | |
| Political and International Law | Adonis Gabriel | San Beda University | 100% | 2001 | 8th |
| Taxation | |||||
| Remedial Law | Rodolfo Ma. A. Ponferrada | University of the Philippines | 100% | 2001 | 1st |
| Remedial Law | Nia Rachelle M. Gonzales | University of Batangas | 100% | 2016 | 9th |
| Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises | Maria Celia H. Fernandez | University of the Philippines | 100% | 1997 | 1st |
| Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises | Gladys Gervacio | University of Perpetual Help-Rizal | 100% | 2005 | 6th |
In 1930, Tecla San Andres-Ziga of the University of the Philippines got a grade of 99% in Remedial Law. She also placed number one in the bar exams of the same year.
In 1949, Anacleto C. Mañgaser of the Philippine Law School earned 100% in Mercantile Law, and placed 1st in the bar exams of that year. His average of 95.85% broke all prior records before it was bested by Florenz Regalado in 1954. Mañgaser's bar rating remains the second highest validated average of all time.
In 1953, Juan Ponce Enrile of the University of the Philippines College of Law, where he graduated salutatorian and cum laude, earned 100% in Mercantile Law and placed 11th in the bar exams of that year.
In 1955, Raul Gonzales of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law earned 99% in Remedial Law and 95% in International Law. However, he did not place in the top ten.
In 1973, Renato Franciso of the Ateneo de Manila Law School obtained a perfect score of 100% in Criminal Law.
In 1997, Maria Celia H. Fernandez of the University of the Philippines College of Law, where she graduated salutatorian and cum laude, earned 100% in Legal Ethics and emerged as the year's bar topnotcher.
In 2001, Rodolfo Ma. A. Ponferrada, that year's valedictorian of the University of the Philippines College of Law, obtained a perfect score of 100% in Remedial Law, the highest weighted of the bar subjects. The difference between his final bar examination score and that of the second-placer, Jesus Paolo U. Protacio, that year's valedictorian of the Ateneo de Manila Law School and who got a perfect score of 100% in Criminal Law, is the highest of all time. Notably, that year's valedictorian of the San Beda College of Law, Adonis V. Gabriel, obtained a perfect score of 100% in Political Law and placed 8th. The 3.75% difference between No. 1 and No. 2 eclipsed the previous highest difference of 2.10% registered in 1966 when Roberto V. San Jose garnered a grade of 90.6% versus the 88.5% of the tied second placers, Ruben F. Balane and Pablo S. Trillana III.
In 2005, Gladys V. Gervacio of the University of Perpetual Help-Rizal earned a perfect 100% in two bar subjects—Legal Ethics and Labor Law. She placed 6th in the bar exams of that year. In 2011, she passed the California State Bar examinations.
In 2016, Nia Rachelle M. Gonzales of the University of Batangas earned a 100% rating in Remedial Law. She placed 9th in the bar exams of that year
In 2017, Bj Bonn D. Pusta of the Ateneo de Davao University earned 100% in Civil Law and 93% on Mercantile Law, However, he did not place in the top 20
In 2019, Johanna Celine Mari A. Chan of the University of the Philippines College of Law obtained 100% in Mercantile Law and 92% in Political Law.
Famous bar topnotchers
Prominent lawyers who made the bar top ten include:Presidents and Vice-Presidents
- Manuel A. Roxas – fifth President of the Philippines; 1st placer, 1913 Bar Exams
- Diosdado P. Macapagal – ninth President of the Philippines; 1st placer, 1936 Bar Exams
- Ferdinand E. Marcos – tenth President of the Philippines; 1st placer – 1939 Bar Exams, Topnotcher.
- José P. Laurel – third President of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1915 Bar Exams
- Elpidio C. Quirino – sixth President of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1915 Bar Exams
- Sergio S. Osmeña – fifth President of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1903 Bar Exams
- Manuel L. Quezon – second President of the Philippines; 4th placer, 1903 Bar Exams
- Carlos P. García – eighth President of the Philippines; 7th placer, 1923 Bar Exams
- Emmanuel N. Pelaez – sixth Vice-President of the Philippines; 1st placer, 1938 Bar Exams
- Arturo M. Tolentino – former Vice-President of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1934 Bar Exams
Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Justices
- José Yulo – 6th Philippine Chief Justice; 3rd placer, 1913 Bar Exams
- Ricardo Paras – 8th Philippine Chief Justice; 2nd placer, 1913 Bar Exams
- César Bengzon – 9th Philippine Chief Justice; 2nd placer, 1919 Bar Exams
- Roberto Concepcion – 10th Philippine Chief Justice; 1st placer, 1924 Bar Exams
- Querube Makalintal – 11th Philippine Chief Justice; 7th placer, 1933 Bar Exams
- Ramon Aquino – 15th Philippine Chief Justice; 9th placer, 1939 Bar Exams
- Claudio Teehankee – 16th Philippine Chief Justice; 1st placer, 1940 Bar Exams
- Pedro Yap – 17th Philippine Chief Justice; 1st placer, 1946 Bar Exams
- Andres Narvasa – 19th Philippine Chief Justice; 2nd placer, 1951 Bar Exams
- Artemio Panganiban – 21st Philippine Chief Justice; 6th placer, 1960 Bar Exams
- José P. Laurel – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 2nd placer, 1915 Bar Exams
- J. B. L. Reyes – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 6th placer, 1922 Bar Exams
- Ambrosio Padilla – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 3rd placer, 1934 Bar Exams
- Cecilia Muñoz-Palma – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1937 Bar Exams
- Rafael C. Climaco – former Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 5th placer, 1939 Bar Exams
- Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1947 Bar Exams
- Irene Cortes – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 9th placer, 1948 Bar Exams
- Carolina C. Griño-Aquino – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1950 Bar Exams
- Isagani R. Cruz – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 8th placer, 1951 Bar Exams
- Florentino P. Feliciano – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice and Chair, WTO Appellate Tribunal; 6th placer, 1952 Bar Exams
- Florenz Regalado – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1954 Bar Exams
- Adolfo Azcuna – Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 4th placer, 1962 Bar Exams
- Antonio Eduardo Nachura – Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 7th placer, 1967 Bar Exams
- Presbitero Velasco, Jr. – Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 6th placer, 1971 Bar Exams
- Antonio Carpio – Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 6th placer, 1975 Bar Exams
- Arturo D. Brion – Philippine Supreme Court Justice; former Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 1st placer, 1974 Bar Exams
- Bienvenido V. Reyes – former Philippine Court of Appeals Presiding Justice; 5th placer, 1954 Bar Exams
- Salome A. Montoya – former Philippine Court of Appeals Presiding Justice; 6th placer, 1954 Bar Exams
- Alicia V. Sempio-Diy – former Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 5th placer, 1950 Bar Exams
- Oscar M. Herrera – former Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 8th placer, 1953 Bar Exams
- Demetrio Demetria – former Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 2nd placer, 1964 Bar Exams
- Mario Guariña III – former Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 2nd placer, 1967 Bar Exams
- Lucas Bersamin – the 25th and current Philippine Chief Justice; 9th placer, 1973 Bar Exams
- Celia Librea-Leagogo – Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 5th placer, 1981 Bar Exams
Senators and Representatives
- Manuel A. Roxas – former Philippine Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives; 1st placer, 1913 Bar Exams
- Manuel L. Quezon – former Philippine Senate President; 4th placer, 1903 Bar Exams
- Arturo M. Tolentino – former Philippine Senate President; 2nd placer, 1934 Bar Exams
- Ferdinand E. Marcos – former Philippine Senate President; 1st placer, 1939 Bar Exams
- Jovito Salonga – former Philippine Senate President; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams
- Neptali Gonzales – former Philippine Senate President; 9th placer, 1949 Bar Exams
- Ernesto M. Maceda – former Philippine Senate President; 10th placer, 1956 Bar Exams
- Franklin M. Drilon – former Philippine Senate President; 3rd placer, 1969 Bar Exams
- Lorenzo Sumulong – former Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1929 Bar Exams
- Jose W. Diokno – former Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams
- Rene Saguisag – former Philippine Senator; 6th placer, 1963 Bar Exams
- Aquilino Pimentel III – Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1990 Bar Exams
- Sergio S. Osmeña – former Speaker of the House of Representatives; 2nd placer, 1903 Bar Exams
- Jose Yulo – former Speaker of the House of Representatives; 3rd placer, 1913 Bar Exams
- Aguedo F. Agbayani – former Pangasinan Representative; 5th placer, 1947 Bar Exams
- Antonio Eduardo Nachura – former Samar Representative; 7th placer, 1967 Bar Exams
- Ronaldo Zamora – San Juan Representative; 1st placer, 1969 Bar Exams
- Prospero Nograles – Speaker of the House of Representatives; 2nd placer, 1971 Bar Exams
- Arturo D. Brion – Assemblyman, Philippine National Assembly; 1st placer, 1974 Bar Exams
- Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. – former Tarlac Representative; 1st placer, 1989 Bar Exams
- José P. Laurel- former Senator; 2nd Placer 1915
- Mylene J. Garcia-Albano – Davao City 2nd District – House of Representatives; 3rd placer, 1990 Bar Exams
- Rodolfo C. Farinas – Ilocos Norte Representative; 8th placer 1978 Bar Exams
- Leila de Lima – current Philippine Senator; former Secretary of Justice; former Commission on Human Rights Chairperson; 8th placer, 1985 Bar Exams
Appointees and career service officials
- Roberto Concepcion – Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 1st placer, 1924 Bar Exams
- Lorenzo Sumulong – Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 1st placer, 1929 Bar Exams
- Arturo Tolentino – Member, Philippine Civil Code Commission; former Minister of Foreign Affairs; 2nd placer, 1934 Bar Exams
- Ambrosio Padilla – Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 3rd placer, 1934 Bar Exams
- Diosdado Macapagal – President, Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971; 1st placer, 1936 Bar Exams
- Cecilia Muñoz-Palma – President, Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986; Chairperson, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office; 1st placer, 1937 Bar Exams
- Jovito Salonga – former chairman, Presidential Commission on Good Government; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams
- Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera – Chancellor, Philippine Judicial Academy; Chairperson, Legal Publications Committee, Supreme Court Centenary Celebrations; 1st placer, 1947 Bar Exams
- Alicia V. Sempio-Dy – Member, Philippine Civil Code Revision Committee; former Commissioner, National Commission on Women; 5th placer, 1950 Bar Exams
- Andres Narvasa – Chairman, Preparatory Commission for Constitutional Reform; 2nd placer, 1951 Bar Exams
- Gabriel Singson – former Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1952 Bar Exams
- Florentino Feliciano – Chairman, Feliciano Commission investigating the Oakwood Mutiny; 6th placer, 1952 Bar Exams
- Florenz D. Regalado – Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 1st placer, 1954 Bar Exams
- Jose Nolledo – Delegate, 1971 Constitutional Convention & Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 3rd placer, 1958 Bar Exams
- Haydee Yorac – former Chairperson, Presidential Commission on Good Government; former Commissioner, Commission on Elections; 8th placer, 1962 Bar Exams
- Adolfo Azcuna – Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 4th placer, 1962 Bar Exams
- Joaquin G. Bernas – Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; Member, Feliciano Commission investigating the Oakwood mutiny; 9th placer, 1962 Bar Exam
- Anacleto C. Mañgaser – former chairman, Reparations Commission; 1st placer, 1949 Bar Exams
- Romeo C. de la Cruz—former Solicitor General; 9th placer, 1957 Bar Exams
- Sergio A. Apostol – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel; 7th placer, 1958 Bar Exams
- Ismael G. Khan Jr. – former Spokesperson, Philippine Supreme Court; 6th placer, 1959 Bar Exams
- Antonio Eduardo Nachura – former Solicitor General; 7th placer, 1967 Bar Exams
- Fulgencio S. Factoran, Jr. – former Executive Secretary; 9th placer, 1967 Bar Exams
- Jose Mario Buñag – former Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner; 2nd placer, 1968 Bar Exams
- Ronaldo B. Zamora – former Executive Secretary; 1st placer, 1969 Bar Exams
- Franklin Drilon – former Secretary of Labor and Employment; 3rd placer, 1969 Bar Exams
- Jesus Dureza – Presidential Peace Adviser and Mindanao Super Region In-charge; 10th placer, 1973 Bar Exams
- Arturo D. Brion – Secretary of Labor and Employment; 1st placer, 1974 Bar Exams
- Antonio Carpio – former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel; 6th placer, 1975 Bar Exams
- Avelino Cruz, Jr. – former Secretary of National Defense; 7th placer, 1977 Bar Exams
- Simeon Marcelo – former Philippine Ombudsman; 5th placer, 1979 Bar Exams
- Manuel Antonio J. Teehankee – former Undersecretary of Justice; Ambassador to the World Trade Organization; 1st placer, 1983 Bar Exams
- Leila de Lima – former Secretary of Justice; former Commission on Human Rights Chairperson; 8th placer, 1985 Bar Exams
- Antonio M. Bernardo – former Bureau of Customs Commissioner; 2nd placer, 1988 Bar Exams
- Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. – Secretary of National Defense; 1st placer, 1989 Bar Exams
- Persida V. Rueda-Acosta – Chief Public Attorney of the Philippines; 5th placer, 1989 Bar Exams
- Ruben Carranza, Jr. – Commissioner, Presidential Commission on Good Government; 8th placer, 1990 Bar Exams
- Maria Celia H. Fernandez – former Chief, Presidential Management Staff; 1st placer, 1997 Bar Exams
- Janet B. Abuel – Undersecretary, Department of Budget and Management; 1st placer, 1998 Bar Exams
- Edwin R. Enrile – former Assistant Executive Secretary, Office of the President; Deputy Executive Secretary, Office of the President; 1st placer, 1999 Bar Exams
- Rodolfo Ma. A. Ponferrada – former Assistant Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President; 1st placer, 2001 Bar Exams
- Pablito V. Sanidad, Sr. – former Deputy Minister of the Department of Labor and Employment; 8th placer, 1967 Bar Exams
Local officials
- Jose P. Carag - former Governor of Cagayan, former Chairman of the Commission on Elections ; 2nd placer, 1922 Bar Exams
- Aguedo F. Agbayani – former Governor of Pangasinan; 5th placer, 1947 Bar Exams
- Pablo P. Garcia – former Governor of Cebu; 3rd placer, 1951 Bar Exams
- Juanito Remulla, Sr. – former Governor of Cavite; 4th placer, 1956 Bar Exams
- Isidoro E. Real, Jr. – former Governor / Congressman of Zamboanga del Sur; 7th placer, 1961 Bar Exams
- Roldan Dalman – former Governor of Zamboanga del Norte;former Presidential Assistant for Regional Concerns, Western Mindanao 6th placer, 1975 Bar Exams
- Douglas RA. Cagas – incumbent Governor / former Congressman of Davao Del Sur; 4th placer 1967 Bar Exams
- Rodolfo C. Farinas – Former Governor / incumbent Congressman of Ilocos Norte / Incumbent Majority Leader; 8th placer 1978 Bar Exams
- Henry Villarica – Incumbent Mayor of Meycauayan City ; 1st Placer 1971 Bar Exams
- Pablito V. Sanidad Sr. – Former Vice Governor of Ilocos Sur; 8th place 1967 Bar Exams
Academe
- Nilo Divina - Dean, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law; 4th placer, 1990 Bar Exam
- Joaquin G. Bernas – former President, Ateneo de Manila University; Dean Emeritus, Ateneo Law School; 9th placer, 1962 Bar Exam
- Jovito Salonga – former Dean, Far Eastern University Institute of Law; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams
- Neptali Gonzales – former Dean, Far Eastern University Institute of Law; 9th placer, 1949 Bar Exams
- Andres Narvasa – former Dean, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law; 2nd placer, 1951 Bar Exams
- Norberto S. Gonzales – Dean, Manuel L. Quezon University School of Law; 5th placer, 1958 Bar Exams
- Custodio O. Parlade – President Emeritus, Philippine Dispute Resolution Centre; Lecturer and Bar Reviewer; 4th placer, 1959 Bar Exams
- Agustin O. Benitez – former Dean, University of the East College of Law; 1st placer, 1959 bar Exams
- Virgilio B. Jara – Dean, San Beda College of Law 5th placer, 1962 Bar Exams
- Cesar L. Villanueva – Dean, Ateneo Law School; 2nd placer, 1981 Bar Exams
- Jose Jesus G. Laurel – former Dean, Lyceum of the Philippines College of Law; 6th placer, 1981 Bar Exams
- Roy Joseph M. Rafols – former Dean, Palawan State University College of Law; 2nd placer, 1984 Bar Exams
- Pacifico N. Castro – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 8th placer, 1954 Bar Exams
- Manuel T. Muro – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer, former Trial Court Judge; 6th placer, 1955 Bar Exams
- Antonio H. Abad, Jr. – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; former Dean of the FEU Institute of Law and presently Dean of the Adamson University College of Law; 10th placer, 1963 Bar Examinations
- Roberto San Jose – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 1st placer, 1966 Bar Exams
- Ruben F. Balane – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 2nd placer, 1966 Bar Exams
- Hildegardo F. Iñigo – former Dean, Ateneo de Davao University College of Law and Bar Reviewer, 8th placer, 1966 Bar Exams
- Jacinto D. Jimenez – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 3rd placer, 1968 Bar Exams
- Arturo de Castro – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 3rd placer, 1970 Bar Exams
- Rene Gorospe – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 2nd placer, 1979 Bar Exams
- Manuel J. Laserna, Jr. – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer ; 3rd placer, 1984 Bar Exams ; trial lawyer; Bar leader; founder of the Las Pinas City Bar Association ; and managing partner of the Laserna Cueva-Mercader & Associates Law Offices.
- Abelardo T. Domondon – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 4th placer, 1985 Bar Exams, graduate of Adamson University College of Law
- Roberto A. Gana – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 5th placer, 1986 Bar Exams
- Jose Maria G. Hofileña – Law Professor and Bar Reviewer; 10th placer, 1987 Bar Exams
- Michael G. Aguinaldo – Law Professor; 7th placer, 1992 Bar Exams
- Anna Leah Fidelis T. Castañeda – Law Professor; 1st placer, 1993 Bar Exams
- Shirley F. Alinea – UP Law – Law Professor
- Maria Socorro Z. Manguiat – Law Professor; 10th placer, 1993 Bar Exams
- Maria Paz Romana S. Angeles – Law Professor; 10 placer, 1994 Bar Exams
- Carla E. Santamaria-Seña – Law Professor; 5th placer, 1995 Bar Exams
- Ralph A. Sarmiento – Dean, University of St. La Salle College of Law; International Law Bar Reviewer; 10th placer, 1997 Bar Exams
- Shennan A. Sy – Law Professor; 6th placer, 1995 Bar Exams
- Arnold De Vera – Law Professor; 8th placer, 1987 Bar Exams
- Rhett Emmanuel C. Serfino – Practicing Lawyer; Professor and Bar Reviewer ; 3rd placer, 1997 Bar Exams
- Florin T. Hilbay – Law Professor; 1st placer, 1999 Bar Exams
- Rodolfo Ma. A. Ponferrada – Professor of Law ; 1st placer, 2001 Bar Exams
- Solomon F. Lumba – Professor of Law ; 4th placer, 2001 Bar Exams
- Adonis V. Gabriel – Professor of Law ; 8th placer, 2001 Bar Exams
- Samson S. Alcantara – Practicing Lawyer; Professor and Bar Reviewer ; Author-Philippine Labor and Social Legislation; 3rd placer, Bar Exams
- Connie Chu – Professor, 2nd Place, 2002 Bar Exams
- Ma. Ngina Chan-Gonzaga – Professor, 4th place, 2002 Bar Exams
- Michelle Juan – Professor, 4th place, 2002 Bar Exams
- Nyerson Dexter Tito Q. Tualla – Corporate Attorney, TransCo; Civil Law Lecturer, Manuel L. Quezon University; 4th placer, 2005 Bar Exams
- Pedro Jose F. Bernardo – Professor, 8th place, 2005 Bar Exams
- Noel Neil Q. Malimban – Business Law Lecturer and Reviewer, University of the Cordilleras; 1st placer, 2006 Bar Exams
- Guillermo A. Villasor, Jr. – Former Dean, University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos School of Law; 10th placer,1979 Bar Exams
- Marforth T. Fua – Law Professor, 8th place, 2007 Bar Exams
- Teodoro Almase – Dean, University of the Visayas, 4th place
- Pablito V. Sanidad Sr. – Dean, University of Baguio, 8th place, 1967 Bar Exams
- Kenneth Glenn L. Manuel – CPA Reviewer, Review School of Accountancy, 6th place, 2019 Bar Exams
Private Sector
- Manuel Montecillo – Name Partner, Siguion Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako ; 1st placer, 1948 Bar Exams
- Manuel S. Abello – Founding Partner, Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz ; 1st placer, 1958 Bar Exams
- Nelly Favis-Villafuerte – Editor, Manila Bulletin; 7th placer, 1959 Bar Exams
- Avelino V. Cruz – Founding Partner, ACCRALAW; youngest to top the bar, 1st placer, 1962 Bar Exams
- Mercedita V. Santiago-Nolledo – Corporate Secretary, Ayala Corporation; 2nd placer, 1965 Bar Exams
- Rodolfo D. Robles – General practitioner; 1st placer, 1967 Bar Exams
- Felito S. Ramirez - Founding and Managing partner of Ramirez Lazaro Bello Rico-Sabado and Associates Law Office, former law professor, Co-founder/member of Lex Talionis Fratenitas Inc; 7th placer, 1972 Bar Exams
- Januario B. Soller Jr. – Co-founder, Soller Chain of Pawnshops; 1st placer, 1972 Bar Exams
- Jesus M. Manalastas – Name Partner, PECABAR Law Firm; 2nd placer, 1972 Bar Exams
- Victor P. Lazatin – Senior Partner, ACCRALAW; 3rd placer, 1972 Bar Exams
- Barbara Anne Migallos – Name Partner, Roco Buñag Kapunan Migallos Law Firm; Co-founder, Migallos & Luna Law Office; 3rd placer, 1979 Bar Exams
- Mario Luz Bautista – Co-founder, Poblador Bautista Reyes Law Firm; 6th placer, 1979 Bar Exams
- Arthur Lim – Commission on Election Commissioner; former National President, Integrated Bar of the Philippines; 3rd placer, 1981 Bar Exams
- Ray C. Espinosa – Partner, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan; Executive Director, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company; President and CEO, ePLDT; President and CEO, Associated Broadcasting Corporation; Vice chairman, Philweb Corporation; 1st placer, 1982 Bar Exams
- Agerico T. Paras – Founding Partner and Managing Partner, Paras and Manlapaz Lawyers; 6th placer, 1983 Bar Exams
- Menardo L. Guevarra – Co-founder, Serapio Guevarra Medialdea Law Firm; 2nd placer, 1985 Bar Exams
- Hever M. Bascon, Jr. – Steptoe & Johnson LLP, 5th placer, 1987 Bar Exams
- Marlon Manuel – Director, SALIGAN ; 5th placer, 1994 Bar Exams
- Patricia-ann T. Prodigalidad – Partner, ACCRALAW; 1st placer, 1996 Bar Exams
- Maria Celia H. Fernandez – In-house counsel, Yuchengco group of companies; 1st placer, 1997 Bar Exams
- Jose Raulito E. Paras – Partner, Andres Marcelo Padernal Guerrero & Paras; 5th placer, 1997 Bar Exams
- Eliseo M. Zuñiga Jr. – Partner, Quisumbing Torres Law Firm; 1st placer, 2000 Bar Exams
- Valerie Feria Amante – Legal Division Head, Jollibee Group of Companies; 7th placer, 2000 Bar Exams
- Rodolfo Ma. A. Ponferrada – Associate, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan; 1st placer, 2001 Bar Exams
- Ma. Theresa U. Ballelos – Associate, Quisumbing Torres Law Firm; 6th placer, 2001 Bar Exams
- Arlene Maneja – Associate, Siguion Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako; 1st placer, 2002 Bar Exams
- Aeneas Eli S. Diaz – Associate, Villaraza & Angangco; 1st placer, 2003 Bar Exams
- January A. Sanchez – Consultant, Asian Development Bank; 1st placer, 2004 Bar Exams
- Joan A. De Venecia – Associate, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan; 1st placer, 2005 Bar Exams
- Noel Neil Q. Malimban – Associate, Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose; 1st placer, 2006 Bar Exams
- Filemon Ray L. Javier – Associate, Quisumbing Torres Law Firm; 2nd placer, 2010 Bar Exams