By John Vincent B. Toribio

Sustaining its stature as one of the country’s best law schools in the country, the Mariano Marcos State University has produced 100% passing rate in the 2022 Bar Examinations, landing as rank 1 top-performer school among institutions with 11 to 50 examinees. The national passing rate stood at 72.28%.

Twelve takers emerged victorious from the grueling exam administered by the Supreme Court last February.

The new lawyers are Atty. Ofe Marie L. Balalio, Atty. Nikki Joy F. Barroga, Atty. Czarina Mae Claudine F. Cid, Atty. Juan Paulo P. Flojo, Atty. Alyssa Marie A. Jacinto, Atty. Leidee January G. Lacambra, Atty. Myka Josa D. Llaguno, Atty. Zadrick R. Lucas, Atty. Jheia Lindhelle N. Paned, Atty. Marianne Shen L. Petilla, Atty. Alessandra Rica P. Rupisan and Atty. Niccolo Vittorio T. Santos.

Atty. Balalio and Atty. Cid joined the elite roster of Exemplary Performers with 85-90% ratings.

They are among this year’s 11,402 bar takers - the largest number in history. The bar examination included batches 2020 and 2021. 

Atty. Brian Jay Corpuz, university law dean, jubilated with the results saying, “the whole law school celebrates in this magnificent news, and shall continue to produce bar-ready graduates.”

Congratulating the successful examinees, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis remarked, “I am confident that our MMSU-grown lawyers will surely banner competence and excellence in serving our fellow Ilokanos.”

Results were released on the court’s website today, April 12. Successful examinees have met the exam general average of 75% and have no grade lower than 50% in any of the subjects.

The exam, which was administered through an online platform, covered law pertaining to the state and its relationship with its citizens (formerly political law, labor law and taxation law), criminal law, law pertaining to private personal and commercial relations (formerly civil law and commercial law), and procedure and professional ethics (formerly remedial law, legal ethics and practical exercises).

Examinees took the exam last February 4 and 6, 2022 in thirty-one (31) local testing sites around the country.

The Legal Education Board has recognized MMSU as a top performing law school in the country in the past years based on bar exam results: top 10 in 2018, and top 3 in 2019 under the category of those with fewer than 63 examinees. StratCom, HLY)