What are law school's core subjects and what are they about?

Below are the core subjects in law school based on the curriculum of the Ateneo de Manila School of Law. Read more: CORE SUBJECTS. Ateneo de Manila University. https://www.ateneo.edu/aps/law/jd-program-law/core-subjects. Last accesseed November 07, 2020.

FIRST YEAR
 

FIRST SEMESTER		SECOND SEMESTER
Course	Credit	Course	Credit
Constitutional Law I	3	Constitutional Law II	3
Criminal Law I	3	Criminal Law II	3
Introduction to Law	1	Legal Technique and Logic	2
Legal Profession	1	Legal Writing	2
Legal Research and Writing I	1	Obligations and Contracts	5
Persons and Family Relations	4	Theology and the Law – Social Teachings of the Church	2
Philosophy of Law	2
Statutory Construction	2
Total Credits	17	Total Credits	17

FIRST YEAR, First Semester
 
Constitutional Law I (3 units)
The course undertakes a survey and evaluation of basic principles contained in the Philippine Constitution dealing with the structure of the Philippine Government.
 
Criminal Law I (3 units)
This course covers Book One of the Revised Penal Code, which contains the provisions on felonies, circumstances which affect criminal liability, persons criminally liable for felonies, penalties imposed, the extinction of criminal liability, as well as civil liability.
 
Introduction to Law (1 unit)
This is an overview of the various aspects of the concept of law with emphasis on the relationship between law, jurisprudence, courts, society, and public policy.
 
Legal Profession (1 unit)
This subject begins with an examination of the role of lawyers throughout history, through the study of the major legal systems in the world, and an examination of how these systems figure in the history and development of the legal profession in the Philippines.
 
Legal Research and Writing I (1 unit)
This course focuses on the importance of legal research and teaches students how to effectively research using various sources and tools. It introduces students to the methodology of legal research and the preparation of legal opinions, memoranda, and related matters.
 
Persons and Family Relations (4 units)
This is a study of the laws on Persons and Family Relations as contained in the Preliminary and Human Relations chapters of the New Civil Code of the Philippines, the Family Code of the Philippines, and the pertinent chapters of the New Civil Code of the Philippines. Special laws relevant to the family are also included.
 
Philosophy of Law (2 units)
This subject looks into the historical roots of law, the schools of legal thought that spurred its growth and development, and the primordial purpose of law and legal education. It involves a philosophical reflection on the nature of law, and surveys classical, modern, and contemporary theories of law. Moreover, it seeks to develop in the student a reasoned, healthy, and critical approach toward the law and its institutions, including legal education. 
 
Statutory Construction (2 units)
This course explores the use and force of statutes and the principles and methods of their construction and interpretation.
 
FIRST YEAR, Second Semester
 
Constitutional Law II (3 units)
This course is a study of the Philippine Constitution, specifically the bill of rights, citizenship and suffrage, social justice and human rights, and judicial review of acts affecting them.
 
Criminal Law II (3 units)
This is a study of specific felonies penalized in Book II of the Revised Penal Code, their nature, elements, and corresponding penalties. Such felonies include crimes against the fundamental laws of the state, crimes against public interest, crimes against persons, and quasi-offenses, among others.
 
Legal Technique and Logic (2 units)
This is a course on the methods of reasoning, syllogisms, arguments and explanations, deductions, the truth table demonstrating invalidity and inconsistency, and propositional functions. It also includes the logical organization of legal language and logical testing of judicial reasoning.
 
Legal Writing (2 units)
This is a foundational course on the principles, elements, and techniques of legal writing. It involves a review of the basic rules for form and style, argumentation, advocacy, legal research, legal citation and legal bibliography, case digesting and reporting analysis, legal reasoning, and preparation of legal opinions or memoranda.
 
Obligations and Contracts (5 units)
This is a study of the nature, kinds and effect of obligations, and their extinguishment; and contracts in general, their requisites, form and interpretation, as well as the various kinds of defective contracts. It also surveys natural obligations, estoppel, and prescription.
 
Theology and the Law – Social Teachings of the Church (2 units)
This course traces the historical development of significant Papal encyclicals that have relevance to the legal profession in order to provide a better understanding of the mission of the Church in the modern world, and the role that lawyers and judges play. It endeavors to contextualize the vision and mission of the Church in the Filipino setting and culture, in order to achieve an interiorized consciousness of the challenges that face the legal profession.

SECOND YEAR

FIRST SEMESTER		SECOND SEMESTER
Course	Credit	Course	Credit
Agency, Trusts, and Partnership	3	Administrative Law, Law on Public Officers, and Election Laws	3
Credit Transactions	3	Agrarian Reform and Social Legislation	2
Criminal Law III	2	Civil Procedure	4
Criminal Procedure	3	Corporation Law	4
Land Titles and Deeds	2	Legal Ethics	3
Natural Resources and Environmental Law	2	Legal Medicine	1
Negotiable Instruments Law	3	Public Corporations	1
Property	4	Public International Law	2
Sales	2	Taxation I	3
Total Credits	24	Total Credits	23

APPRENTICESHIP (120 Hours) – 2
SECOND YEAR, First Semester
 
Agency, Trusts, and Partnership (3 units)
This course studies the non-corporate media of pursuing business and transactions, namely agency, business trusts, partnership, and joint venture arrangements. It also covers the rules and regulations issued by government agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel bearing on the matters covered by the course.
 
Credit Transactions (3 units)
This is a study of the law governing loans and deposits, including mortgages, pledge, antichresis, guaranty, suretyships and other securities or collaterals, the law on concurrence and preference of credits, and the Insolvency Law. 
 
Criminal Law III (2 units)
This course covers special penal laws, such as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse Act, the Human Security Act, the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act, and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
 
Criminal Procedure (3 units)
This course studies the rules on criminal procedure, including the basic rights of the accused, the jurisdiction of courts, and the system of criminal justice administration.
 
Land Titles and Deeds (2 units)
This course studies the systems and methods of registration of titles and deeds to land, including related land tenure instruments.
 
Natural Resources and Environmental Law (2 units)
This course studies the constitutional provisions and special laws governing natural resources, their use and disposition. It tackles current environmental concerns and issues and the laws that govern them.
 
Negotiable Instruments (3 units)
This is an examination of the statutory provisions governing negotiable instruments as well as other commercial papers, including investment papers and money market instruments.
 
Property (4 units)
This course studies the law on the different classifications of property, ownership, co-ownership, condominiums, possession, usufruct, easements, nuisance, and the different modes of acquiring ownership, including donations (but excluding tradition, intellectual creation, and succession).
 
Sales (2 units)
This is an examination of the provisions of the New Civil Code on the contract of sale, its nature and form, the obligations of the parties, warranties, remedies, breach of contract, and conventional and legal redemption. It includes assignment of credits and incorporeal rights, and the relevant provisions of the Electronic Commerce Act.
 
SECOND YEAR, Second Semester
 
Administrative Law, Law on Public Officers, and Election Laws (3 units)
This course deals with the development of the law and the various principles used by administrative agencies in the performance of their functions. It focuses principally on the investigatory, rule-making, and adjudicatory powers exercised by an administrative agency as provided in the Revised Administrative Code, and the availability of judicial relief. It also deals with the various laws on public officers and election laws.
 
Agrarian Reform and Social Legislation (2 units)
This course provides students with a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the agrarian reform law through the study of statutes, administrative rules and orders, and related jurisprudence. It discusses the process of obtaining the Certificate of Land Transfer including the requirements for farmers to become agrarian reform beneficiaries.
 
Civil Procedure (4 units)
This course is a study of Rules 1-71 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. It reviews the differences between substantive and remedial law, the basic principles of jurisdiction, and the power of the Supreme Court to promulgate the Rules of Court.
 
Corporation Law (4 units)
This is a study of the Corporation Code and other special laws governing private corporations, including foreign corporations and the concept of doing business in the Philippines. It includes in-depth analyses of the applicable common law and commercial law principles underlying the various relationships in the corporate setting. It also surveys the structure, powers, and jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the pertinent provisions of the Securities Regulation Code.
 
Legal Ethics (3 units)
This course focuses on the canons of legal ethics involving the duties and responsibilities of the lawyer with respect to the client, the court, the bar, and the public.
 
 
Legal Medicine (1 unit)
This course includes the study of both medical jurisprudence and legal medicine. It examines the legal principles that relate to the medical field and medico-legal cases. It provides an overview of forensic medicine as it relates to legal problems, particularly in the fields of criminal and civil law.
 
Public Corporations (1 unit)
This course studies the Local Government Code and provides an understanding of the nature of local government units, its autonomy, powers, funding, officials, accountability, and people's participation.
 
Public International Law (2 units)
This is an overview of the legal principles governing international relations based, among others, on the United Nations Charter and other treaties, and the decisions of international tribunals. It includes an introduction to the law of nations and international organizations, and a review of relevant international and Philippine case and treaty law.
 
Taxation I (3 units)
This course discusses the general principles of taxation and statutory provisions on income taxation, including pertinent revenue regulations.
 
THIRD YEAR

FIRST SEMESTER		SECOND SEMESTER
Course	Credit	Course	Credit
Human Rights Law	2	Conflict of Laws	2
Insurance	2	Evidence	4
Labor Law I	3	Labor Law II	3
Legal Forms	2	Legal Research and Writing III	1
Legal Research and Writing II	1	Special Issues in International Law	2
Succession	4	Special Proceedings	2
Torts and Damages	2	Taxation II	3
Transportation	2	Electives	4
Electives	4
Total Credits	22	Total Credits	21

APPRENTICESHIP (120 Hours) –
THIRD YEAR, First Semester
 
Human Rights Law (2 units)
This course focuses on the concept of human rights as enunciated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights; and humanitarian laws. It also reviews the state of observance of human rights and the means to implement human rights at various levels.
 
Insurance (2 units)
This is a study of the Insurance Code and related laws, including the concept and function of insurance, the nature of the insurance contract, insurable interest, special forms of insurance, and government regulation of the business. 
 
Labor Law I (3 units)
This course is an introduction to Philippine Labor Laws. It covers several sections of the Labor Code, including the Preliminary Title, Pre-Employment, Human Resources Development, Conditions of Employment, and Health, Safety, and Social Welfare Benefits. Other important laws such as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act are also covered.
 
Legal Forms (2 units)
This course instructs students in the drafting of various legal documents and deeds, as well as judicial pleadings and briefs.
 
Legal Research and Writing II (1 unit)
This course is an instructional guide to the preparation and writing of a legal thesis, with the objective of choosing a subject and drafting an outline for the J.D. thesis to be submitted and defended by the student.
 
Succession (4 units)
This is a detailed evaluation of the law on testate and intestate succession, including wills, institution of heirs, computation of legitimes of compulsory heirs, disinheritance, and partition and distribution of the estate. 
 
 
Torts and Damages (2 units)
This subject involves the study of the concepts of fault and negligence giving rise to civil liability on the part of persons not bound by contract, and others who, by virtue of their relationship with the tortfeasor, may also be held civilly liable with them. It also includes the types of damages that may be awarded, the requirements for awarding each type of damages, and the defenses available to either mitigate or evade liability for damages.
 
Transportation (2 units)
This course is a study of the general principles and basic regulations governing common carriers by land, sea, and air. Specifically, it examines the laws relevant to transportation of goods and passengers for compensation, as well as the relevant cases that establish the obligations and liabilities of the common carriers.
 
THIRD YEAR, Second Semester
 
Conflict of Laws (2 units)
This is a course dealing with legal transactions or relationships involving foreign elements with emphasis on the choice of law, including problems in jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.
 
Evidence (4 units)
This course looks into the rules of presentation, admissibility, and weight and sufficiency of evidence, including burden of proof and presumptions.
 
Labor Law II (3 units)
This course covers sections of the Labor Code dealing with Labor Relations, Post-employment, and the Transitory and Final Provisions. It deals with topics such as labor organizations, unfair labor practices, collective bargaining, termination of employment, and disputes arising from such.
 
Legal Research and Writing III (1 unit)
A continuation of Legal Research and Writing II, this course aims to guide students as they progress in researching on and formulating their arguments, and as they write the body of their theses. It requires the students to defend their thesis proposals and outlines before a panel, in preparation for the actual thesis defense.
 
Special Issues in International Law (2 units)
This course is a study of special areas of international law, such as International Criminal Law, the Law of the Sea, and International Trade Law. It provides the students an opportunity to examine the relationship between law and policy and analyze how this relationship evolves and is formed by the changing nature of the world order as well as domestic and international politics. It also aids the students in gaining a deeper understanding of domestic and international legal issues that arise when a government responds to international issues.
 
Special Proceedings (2 units)
This is a study of Rules 72-109 of the Revised Rules of Court. It deals with, among other things, the procedural rules on the settlement of estate of deceased persons, guardianship, appointment of trustees, adoption, habeas corpus, cancellation and correction of entries in the Civil Registry, and appeals on special proceedings. It also covers the rules on injunctive writs and temporary restraining orders, as well as the special rule covering the writ of kalikasan.
 
Taxation II (3 units)
This is a study of the concepts and general principles of transfer, value added, excise, and other percentage and miscellaneous taxes, provided in the National Internal Revenue Code; the remedies available to the government and the taxpayer; fundamentals of local taxation; and the general principles on tariff and customs duties.
 
FOURTH YEAR

FIRST SEMESTER		SECOND SEMESTER
Course	Credit	Course	Credit
Civil Law Review I	4	Civil Law Review II	4
Criminal Law Review	4	Commercial Law Review	4
Political Law Review	4	Labor Law Review	3
Practice Court I	3	Practice Court II	2
Taxation Law Review	3	Remedial Law Review	6
Electives	4	Electives	4
Total Credits	22	Total Credits	23

THESIS WRITING (First Semester) -requisite courses
FOURTH YEAR, First Semester
 
Civil Law Review I (4 units)
This is a general integration of the principles in civil law covering the effect and application of laws, the law on human relations, persons and family relations, property, ownership and its modifications, and the different modes of acquiring ownership.
 
Criminal Law Review (4 units)
This is a general review of the Revised Penal Code with its latest amendments, other penal statutes, and relevant jurisprudence.
 
Political Law Review (4 units)
This is an integrated survey of the Constitution of the Philippines, administrative law, law on public officers, the Local Government Code, and election laws.
 
Practice Court I (3 units)
This is a clinical offering which exposes the students to the practical aspects of the law, particularly in the trial of cases. It covers practical instruction in the preparation of cases and trial briefs, with a focus on civil cases.
 
Taxation Law Review (3 units)
This is a general integration of principles of tax laws, including income, transfer, value-added tax, and other business taxes. It also includes a review of local and real property taxation, and the basic principles of the Tariff and Customs Code.
 
FOURTH YEAR, Second Semester
 
Civil Law Review II (4 units)
This is a general integration of the principles in civil law relating to succession, obligations and contracts, sales, lease, quasi-contracts, quasi-delicts, and damages.
 
Commercial Law Review (4 units)
This is a survey and review of the laws on partnership, agency, trusts, corporations, securities, negotiable instruments, insurance, and transportation.
 
 
Labor Law Review (3 units)
This is an integration of the laws on labor standards and labor relations, related social welfare legislation, as well as landmark and recent jurisprudence on labor laws.
 
Practice Court II (2 units)
This course is a continuation of Practice Court I. Students participate in mock trial work, including the preparation of trial briefs and methods of presenting evidence with focus on criminal cases. Outstanding cases illustrating the effective and efficient utilization of procedural rules in enhancing successful litigation are analyzed in detail and, where appropriate, hypothetical cases are presented for solution by the students.
 
Remedial Law Review (6 units)
This is a general survey and integration of the principles of court jurisdiction, civil and criminal procedures, special civil actions, provisional remedies, special proceedings, and evidence.