Chasing the Dream

“Why do you want to be a lawyer?” is the question I dreaded the most.

Just like any other hypothetical question in a law school exam, there’s a multitude of answers to the question posed, to wit:

I.

A Family Career. When I was in college, a classmate brought a law book to class wherein the engraved markings on its cover flabbergasted the block. The markings were his family’s last name followed by the words “Law Library”. “Dela Cruz Law Library“, to illustrate. When asked about it, he told us that his family had a law library. Wow, right? His father and his siblings were all lawyers. He was following their footsteps. When I finally got into law school, I heard similar stories. A lot of them.

There are no lawyers in the family. My parents did not even finish their education. They successfully built a business from the ground up; and sent me and my older brother to college, which is a feat they did not accomplish. Going to college and finishing it is their dream that they passed on to us. The last three phrases can easily be edited out but, in millenial speak, I wanted to “flex” my parents. Haha.

“A FAMILY CAREER”.

II.

A Career Boost. “What’s your undergraduate course?” is another question commonly asked in the first meetings in law school. Political Science and Legal Management majors comprise half the block. We are so many, we laugh at ourselves. So when the professors hear Nursing, Engineering, Criminology etc., they wanted to hear more from the student. PolSci and LegMa students get to sit down immediately. Haha. The most surprising undergraduate course I heard was Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM). It is no secret that lawyers get the top positions both in the private and public sectors. The perfect example for this answer is arguably the course of Accountancy. The title “CPA-Lawyer” astounds everyone, even lawyers.

Legal Management, just like any other course actually, is a stepping stone to law school. In a sense, it is a career boost. But I did not think of it that way. Back then, I do not even know what a career is. After college, I even rested for two years before pursuing law school. One thing I can assure you is – I did not go to law school for a career boost. The importance of building a resume was lost on me. When I was compelled to do one, I was surprised how mediocre I was. Haha. I remember being tempted on putting “Achievement Test Topnotcher” (which is an award I won when I was in grade school) and “Spelling Bee Champion” (wherein I competed with only a few people) in my resume. I didn’t put it! I just want to be clear.

“A CAREER BOOST”.

III.

A Road to Wealth. To my surprise, a classmate did say that he/she (for anonymity) wants to be a lawyer to be rich. I did not inquire further why that person wanted to be rich (or why he/she said it in public). I don’t know that person’s background either. At that time, my naive self was just “What?!“. In japanese, “Nani?!” According to a 2018 JobStreet survey (as found in https://www.moneymax.ph/personal-finance/articles/high-paying-jobs-philippines ), the number one spot for the highest paying job for fresh graduates in the Philippines belongs to Law/Legal Services. Fresh grads can get as high as P27,000+ for a starting salary. Cha-ching!

To quote Wong, “Attachment to the material is detachment from the spiritual“. I honestly just wanted to quote a line from a Marvel film just once. My editors would just laugh at me. I am sure. Haha. On a serious note, I do not care much for money. As long as there is roof over my head, food on my table… and wifi, I am good.

“A ROAD TO WEALTH”.

IV.

To help people (a.k.a. The Philanthropist). I heard this answer said several times, but I only believed a few people who uttered them. I am sure you have read/ heard about the octogenarian who took the 2018 Bar Examinations. The retired colonel, whose name is Ibarra Mariano, once again tried to get his title of “Atty.” last NovemBAR 2019. In interviews (as found in https://www.thesummitexpress.com/2019/11/bar-2019-89-year-old-taker-third-try-viral.html ), Mariano said that he wanted to fulfill his dreams of becoming a lawyer to help those in the countryside who are denied the equal protection of the law. I believe him.

I put the phrase “Be Kind” in my Facebook page because oftentimes we forget to do it. This is still not the reason why I wanted to be lawyer though. Being a lawyer is not a prerequisite in being kind and helping people. Regardless of title, or lack of it, a person should help another. Of course, I am aware that the law is a great tool to do so. Lawyers who render services for free to the poor is the best example. But it is not my reason.

“THE PHILANTHROPIST”.

V.

My Childhood Dream. When a kid is asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?“, you will probably hear “a teacher”, “a cop”, or “a doctor”. There are a few who wants to be “the President of the Philippines” too. Lately, there are a lot who wants to be a celebrity. Personally, I haven’t heard lawyer yet. I am not surprised though. Those kids who answered that they wanted to be a lawyer are probably in law school or are lawyers now. I am one of those kids.

QUESTION: “Why do you want to be a lawyer?”

ANSWER: “It is my childhood dream.”

QUESTION: “Why is being a lawyer your childhood dream?”

No more answer. The mind goes blank. I honestly do not know. I have always hated the “Why” questions, not only in recitations but also in real life. I’ve always taken pride in already knowing that I wanted to be a lawyer since I was little. However, when this seemingly simple question is asked of me, I hate myself for not knowing the answer.

When I was a kid, I remember fondly saying “Objection, your Honor!” for no reason. Life would have been easier if my father is a lawyer, or if I’m an accountant, or if I wanted to be rich, or if I wanted to help the poor. Being a lawyer is an automatic dream. I am settling with that reason. I do not want to be dramatic, but I can feel it in my blood that I want to be a lawyer.

Hi there! My name is Erica and I am currently in my senior year in San Beda College of Law in Mendiola, Manila. In chasing my dream of becoming a lawyer, I’ve suddenly become nostalgic of who I was when I was just starting. With this blog, I hope I can help you in your journey of chasing the same dream as well. I will write again soon!