Page 58 - The Flame

Faces

Arlene Maneja
A Thomasian topnotcher’s secret:

Love for law, justice, fun

By RANDOLPH B. LEONGSON

“Law is an imperfect profession in which success can rarely be achieved without some sacrifice of principle. Thus all practicing lawyers—and
most others in the profession—will necessarily be imperfect, especially in the eyes of young idealists. There is no perfect justice, just as there is
no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we see it.” - Alan Dershowitz

INDING one’s passion may be a life- complished lawyer. lawyer,” Maneja said.
time struggle for many. Others may With a long roster of achievements and She noted that taking up Legal Manage-
Fhave fully realized their passion as distinctions under her belt, Maneja now ment in the Faculty was both surprising and
early as in their childhood years, while sits as Senior Associate in the SyCip, Sala- overwhelming.
some only find theirs out of sheer luck and zar, Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Offices, “Everyone is so free as opposed to my
serendipity. handling legal concerns in the corporate time in Pay High where you cannot go out
Unlike many others, this concern did not world—an actualization of a dream she had on lunch time,” she said. “Artlets is very in-
come as a dilemma for 1998 Arts and Let- way back her junior days at the UST High teresting because of the different courses.
ters (Artlets) Legal Management cum laude School. You will meet all sorts of people, all sorts
graduate and 2002 bar topnotcher Arlene “I was supposed to take up Medicine, of interests.”
Maneja who has always been certain on but when I got into debating in my third Maneja recounted her time at the St.
what she want to do in life—become an ac- year at Pay High (UST HS), I decided to be a Raymund de Peñafort Building, especially
58 | FLAME