After taking one’s oath as a lawyer, he is thrust into the limelight. The BAR exam result is much-awaited by the community. When one passes the exam, he becomes an instant celebrity, at least, on the day the result is out.
Even the most introvert of lawyers is being sought – out, his opinion on issues matter. After all, the length and breadth of laws reach all aspects of a country’s life. Laws are pervasive that they extend from womb to tomb. As purveyors of the laws, ideally, lawyers can form opinion on any subject, except perhaps, kiddingly aside, ethics.
Once you pass the bar, do not hide in your shell. You are not a monk. Your life is meant to be at the center of the storm, thriving where adversities abound.
Even before becoming a lawyer, I was into opinion-making. The editorials of the The Crusader, the official student newspaper of Xavier University, circa 1995 to 1996 were all written by me. At the time when free speech meant red-tagging, my pen could not be restrained. As a student, I was already column writer for Peryodiko Mindanao, and News Express, touching on the topics the muted mouths could not tackle.
As a lawyer, opinion-making lured me to do column writing for Sunstar daily. The stint lasted for more than a decade. At the same time, I was a regular for several years at Bombo Radyo’s Sunday program, DURA LEX SED LEX.
Opinion-making which is a must for lawyers is in my DNA. But for those who are timid to give their opinions, wake-up. You are a lawyer and not a monk.
Opinion-making though requires a lot of readings. I recall a professor, and a friend telling me, even when I was in the undergraduate, that a lawyer should read even the salt wrapper. Without readings, a lawyer is not an an opinion-maker but a mere babbler.
He who opines, leads. The two must traits for lawyers – leader and opinion-maker – go together. One cannot be a leader without an opinion. A leader forges an opinion, a goal, a vision for others to to embrace, and follow.
In fact, our culture still places lawyer in a pedestal. Even the most silent in a group, so long as he is the lawyer, is being nominated and elected as an officer. This culture though stops at the government elected posts. Unlike in the past where lawyers roam at both houses of Congress, you now see mostly businessmen, landlords, gambling and drug lords, and yes, even the “budots” kings and queens in our legislature. But for the uncompensated positions in our society, the lawyers are still the go to leaders.
In my undergraduate years, I led at least thirteen student organizations, on and off campus. Fresh from taking my oath, I co-founded the radio group enthusiasts in Agusan del Sur, KADUMAHAN. I became its founding president. The only drawback for being a president then was the invitations for birthdays, weddings, and funeral vigils. With 1,000 plus members throughout the province, multiple invites came on a daily basis.
At the age of thirty, I got seriously injured in a basketball game, the sport which was my passion since childhood. I was limping for almost six months. I shifted to lawn tennis. I was into tennis for almost twenty five years.
While in tennis, I founded the TSADA Tennis Foundation, Inc. to promote tennis for the young and not so young. Tennis tournaments and programs catered to the junior tennisters. And for one decade, the annual TSADA Tennis team tournaments were held throughout Region X and Caraga.
Though I heard loud whispers for me to run for a political position, my experiences in provincial campaign exposed me to the dark and sinister side of elections. Besides, without money, I could not win even as a Purok leader.