Page 59 - The Flame

Faces

lished during her stay at the Faculty, Mane- fun.”
ja said that the Artlets influence she gained A recipient of the 2002 St. Thomas Aqui-
over the years bore tremendous impact nas Award and one of the Ten Outstanding
both in her personal and professional life. Students of the Philippines (TOSP) in the
“Most people who want to enter law same year, Maneja is a free-spirited indi-
school are always afraid. It seems like ev- vidual whose intelligence comes naturally
eryone there is bound to make your life dif- ingrained in her personality.
ficult,” she said. “But with my stay in Art- “We took up legal ethics at the last day
lets, I have seen it all—terror professors, of our bar examination. It was not really
lax professors, temperamental professors, a difficult subject,” she said. “We started
even the good professors. Because of that, at three in the afternoon and I knew I can
it seems like nothing can scare me.” finish the test with ease, but when I heard
She noted that the qualities of an Art- the Yellow Jackets banging the drums, I got

“They should find enjoyment in the law. I am
fascinated by the law. Law students should
find it interesting rather than something they
have to study. The first step in overcoming

the bar is to have fun,”

- 2002 Bar Topnotcher Arlene Maneja

lets student being free-spirited in attitude, excited. I was bouncing with the beat at
inquisitive, and argumentative helped her my chair while taking the test. I wanted to
cope with the environment of the Faculty be outside because I wanted to be in the
of Civil Law. party.”
Despite being a natural achiever, the
Love for law results of the bar examination surprised
Maneja, who was the Philippine Rep- Maneja and her friends.
resentative for the Hitachi Young Leaders’ “A lot of people were happy and we
Initiative (HYLI), recalled how she prepared could not believe it was happening. It took
for the 2002 bar examinations. a long time to sink in. I could not believe I
“Everyone in UST wanted to top the bar actually did it,” she said.
examination because it was said that the Maneja was the third Thomasian to top
Photo by KATHLEEN T. DE VILLA late erstwhile President Diosdado Macapa- the bar examination with Justice Roberto
gal prepared a hefty reward for somebody Concepcion in 1924 and President Macapa-
from UST who can do such a feat. Without gal in 1936. This achievement made profes-
much hesitation, I decided to give it a try,”
A Thomasian topnotcher’s secret: she said. University.
sionals recognize law graduates from the
“There is no harm in trying,” Maneja
“UST now gets invited by private law
Love for law, justice, fun said. “It is not an impossible thing to top firms, something that was and is still domi-
the bar. You just have to be committed and
nated by lawyers from the University of the
you must want it badly. The moment you
Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila Uni-
step into law school, you must truly like the versity,” she said.
By RANDOLPH B. LEONGSON law.” Amid the different influences she has
Unlike most of the bar examinees who encountered over the years, Maneja strives
“Law is an imperfect profession in which success can rarely be achieved without some sacrifice of principle. Thus all practicing lawyers—and were gripped by fear and anxiety, Maneja hard to maintain the integrity she learned
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 said she was very excited to take the exami- from her stay at the University.
no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we see it.” - Alan Dershowitz nation and even encouraged other examin- “Law is a high pressuring job. It is easy
ees to face the challenge. to become competitive. But In UST, we are
“It is just a longer test,” she added. “You not like that. We value relationships, we
her professors who left a permanent mark have to enjoy it, and you have to assume value friends,” she said.
in her life namely, the late Ophelia Dima- that you will never take it again.” At present, the 33-year-old Maneja
lanta in Literature; Juanito Sese in Philoso- Maneja, who spent four years as an As- keeps her Thomasian values intact in a
phy, whom she notes as a terror professor; sociate in Siguion Reyna Montecillo & Ong- world where the fine line that separates
and Ferdinand Lopez in Humanities, who siako Law Offices, said that she just enjoyed truth from lie is much more difficult to dis-
helped her veer away from shyness. the moment and took advantage of the Bar cern.
“I also remember doing quirky things in Operations like it was a “privilege.” For someone who has achieved so
Artlets like being awarded as the Ms. Legal “They should find enjoyment in the law. much, Maneja believes that striving hard
Management,” she said. I am fascinated by the law. Law students will always be the best key to attain success.
should find it interesting rather than some- “Be the best that you can,” she said,
Artlets rearing thing they have to study,” she said. “The leaving a simple advice to all aspiring law-
With the foundation that was estab- first step in overcoming the bar is to have yers. F
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