Policy and Regulations in Offering Elective Subjects

March 15, 2018

LEB MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 14, S. 2018

 

In accordance with the provisions of Republic Act (Rep. Act) No. 7662, entitled the "Legal Education Reform Act of 1993," and pursuant to Resolution No. 2018-205 adopted during the 80th En Banc meeting of the Legal Education Board on February 13, 2018, these policies and regulations in offering elective subjects are hereby adopted:

1) General policy. — In the exercise of academic freedom enjoyed by higher education institutions, law schools shall choose the elective subjects to offer for the basic law degree, subject, however, to the parameters prescribed in this memorandum order.

2) Recommended elective subjects. — Without need of prior approval from the Legal Education Board (LEB), law schools may offer any of the recommended elective subjects enumerated in LEB Memorandum Order (LEBMO) No. 1, Series of 2011.

3) LEB approval. — A law school may design and develop its own elective subject or subjects involving the study of substantive and/or procedural law(s), and/or legal skill needed by a law practitioner. However, such elective subjects shall not be offered and no credit shall be recognized unless it is first approved by the LEB.

4) Application period. — Applications for permit to offer elective subjects shall be filed with the LEB not later than April 15 preceding the start of the academic year when the elective subjects are intended to be offered for the first time. No further permit shall be necessary for the subsequent offering of elective subjects previously approved by the LEB. At the discretion of the LEB, applications filed beyond the prescribed date may be denied outright, or imposed the appropriate fine.

5) Application form and contents. — The application shall be filed in triplicate copies under the signature of the Dean, counter-signed by the Registrar, and noted by the President of the higher education institution to which the law school forms part of, using the form prescribed by the Chairman of the LEB. The application shall contain the —

a) Title of the proposed elective subject,

b) Academic weight in units,

c) Teaching method to be employed,

d) Pre-requisite subjects, if any, and

e) Course description.

The syllabus for the proposed elective subject shall also be attached with the application.

6) Incomplete application. — Applications received with incomplete information and/or attachment, or not signed by all the required signatories, or not using the prescribed form shall not be deemed filed and will not be processed.

7) Penalty clause. — The following violations of this Memorandum Order shall be imposed the indicated penalty:

a) The filing of an application after the prescribed deadline in Section 7 above shall be imposed a fine of P100 per day of delay; and

b) The offering of elective subjects without the prior permission or approval of the LEB shall be considered an unlawful act of a law school and imposed the penalty provided in Section 32 of LEB Memorandum Order No. 2, and/or a fine of not less than P5,000 but not more than P50,000.

8) Effectivity. — This Memorandum Order shall become effective fifteen (15) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation and deposit of a copy in the National Administrative Register of the University of the Philippines Law Center.

Issued under the seal of the Legal Education Board this March 15, 2018 in Quezon City, Philippines.

(SGD.) EMERSON B. AQUENDEChairman