The students and supervising lawyers of the FEU Institute of Law, faculty members, FEU Law Alumni Association members, and volunteer lawyers held a free legal consultation at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Teresa District Jail last Oct. 22.
The two-pronged legal mission consisted of a donation drive and one-on-one free legal consultation with persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Dean Jose Marlon Pabiton talked about the FEU IL’s advocacy on jail decongestion and expressed that the first step to this advocacy is helping PDLs understand the law and the procedures involved in their cases.
“Mahirap intindihin ang batas, at nandito kami upang makatulong sa pagintindi sa batas. Nandito rin kami upang maipakita sa aming mga estudyante na kaya nilang makatulong kahit sa maliit o konting paraan. (The law is difficult to understand, and we are here to help with understanding the law. We are also here to show our students that they can make a difference even in small or modest ways),” said Dean Pabiton.
Associate Dean Rowena Soriano thanked Jail Supt. Noel Corpuz and Jail Senior Insp. Liza Valentino for allowing FEU IL to contribute to the National Correctional Consciousness Week. She also highlighted the importance of exposing law students to the strife of PDLs and allowing the students to give back to society as early as they can in their legal careers.
After the short introduction, the FEU IL students handed out food and toiletries to the PDLs, which were made possible through the generous donations of the FEU IL professors. The student volunteers and supervising lawyers then sat down with the 28 PDLs to answer legal questions and give guidance on their pending cases and legal concerns.
The FEU IL Legal Aid Team took the chance to bring early holiday cheers to the PDLs as they brought with them wish-lists from their “Tree of Hope” with requests for their basic needs. Donations will be coursed through the Legal Aid and Office of the Associate Dean until Nov. 30.
The livelihood products of the PDLs were also patronized by the FEU IL professors.
The FEU IL continues to offer holistic legal education by not only providing students with quality legal education, but also giving its students the opportunity to practice and apply what they learn inside the classroom.
The legal mission was in response to the request of Jail Supt. Corpuz and Jail Senior Insp. Valentino.
Several Demeanor of a FEU Lawyer class students, Level 1 Certified Student Practitioners, and Level 2 Certified Student Practitioners organized the free legal consultation.
