Maria Filomena D. Singh called on law schools, regulators, and legal practitioners to share responsibility in ensuring that future lawyers are trained with both competence and ethical integrity.

Singh made the call in a recent keynote address at the Legal Education Board’s (LEB) Year-End Stakeholders’ Meeting held at the Philippine International Convention Center. The event was attended by law school administrators, faculty members, students, legal practitioners, and partner institutions.

She underscored that legal education carries a strong state interest, noting that the judiciary relies on the quality and values instilled in law graduates who will eventually serve as judges, lawyers, and public officials.

Singh said the judiciary is an indispensable stakeholder in shaping the competence and values of future members of the legal profession.

She cited reforms implemented by the LEB under the Revised Model Law Curriculum, including expanded clinical legal education, a stronger emphasis on human rights, judicial and legal ethics, gender sensitivity, and improved alignment between substantive and procedural law subjects.

Drawing from her 20 years of experience as a law professor, Singh said legal education has gradually shifted away from a purely Bar examination-oriented approach toward a more holistic and practice-based model.

The Supreme Court justice also highlighted the LEB’s accomplishments over the past year, including the introduction of specialized academic tracks in Competition Law and Shari’ah and Islamic Law, as well as new graduate certificate and elective programs designed to respond to evolving legal and societal demands.

However, Singh raised concerns over emerging challenges in legal education, particularly the increasing use of artificial intelligence in legal research and writing.

While acknowledging AI’s usefulness as a supplementary tool, she warned against excessive reliance on technology that could weaken critical thinking and ethical judgment.

She said the “goal is to graduate lawyers whose technical competence is matched by moral integrity.”

The magistrate also emphasized the need to improve access and inclusion in legal education, citing Supreme Court initiatives under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027, including the institutionalization of Filipino Sign Language and the expanded use of technology to enhance access to justice.

Likewise, Singh welcomed the LEB’s newly issued guidelines on disability inclusion in law schools, describing them as an important step toward removing barriers for persons with disabilities seeking to enter the legal profession.

She urged the legal education community to sustain reform efforts and approach future challenges with humility and resolve.

“The quality of legal education shapes the lawyers who will defend rights, uphold democratic institutions, and serve the public trust for decades to come,” Singh said.