UNIVERSITY OF NUEVA CACERES

COLLEGE OF LAW
1st Semester
SCHOOL YEAR 2020-2021

COURSE SYLLABUS FOR INTRODUCTION TO LAW

(Course Code: _____________)
First Year College of Law Students Block A , B, C and D
Class Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (7:30 - 8:30)

Professor:
ATTY. CHARISSA TORRECAMPO-NOBLE
Torrecampo & Noble Law Office
No. 641, Door 2, Flores Bldg.
Peñafrancia Avenue, Naga City
09424879627/09176267423
[email protected]
[email protected]

INTRODUCTION TO LAW
School Year 2020-2021
                        
COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction to Law is a general course given to Freshmen. It provides an integrated

view of the legal system of the Philippines and the various aspects of the concept of Law,
focusing mainly on the relationship between law, courts, jurisprudence, society and
public policy, presented through selected provisions of law, cases and other materials
depicting settled principles and current developments, both local and international,
including a review of the rudiments of legal history.  This course covers the Constitution,
court system attorney-client relationship, administrative law, crimes, torts, contract law,
family law, owning and operating motor vehicles, renters and landlords, home
ownership, employee and employer rights and duties, wills, trusts and probate laws,
among others.  The students will develop the knowledge and skills indicated by the
Learning Outcomes for the course.

SUGGESTED TEXTBOOK/S

 Introduction to Law by Rolando A. Suarez, 6th Edition, REX Bookstore;

and/or,
 An Introduction to Philippine Law by Melquiades J. Gamboa, 7th Edition,
Centralbooks

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY
The course will be taught using the following methods of instruction:
1. Class Discussion (Online)
2. Assigned Reporting
3. Quizzes/Exams
4. Case Reporting/Digests

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COURSE RATIONALE

 
Introduction to Law is designed to give students an overview of the law and the legal
system.  This course will provide students with an overview of legal concepts,
procedures, terminology and current issues in law including constitutional law, criminal
law, contracts, family law, renters and landlords, real estate, employment law, and wills
and trusts.  The course is also designed to develop the student’s issue identification
skills.
 
 
 
GRADING SYSTEM

Attendance - 20 points
Class participation - 100 points (reports, presentation, recitation)
Midterm Exam - 80 points
Final Exam - 100 points

The final numerical grade in this course will be computed based on the total points
garnered as follows:

276-300 points 1.00(99-100%) Excellent

251-275 points 1.25 (96-98 %) Very Superior
226-250 points 1.50 (93-95 %) Superior
201-225 points 1.75 (90-92 %) Very Good
156-200 points 2.00 (87-89%) Good
126-150 points 2.25 (84-86%) Satisfactory
101-125 points 2.50 (81-83%) Fairly Satisfactory
76-100 points 2.75 (78-80%) Fair
51-75 points 3.00 (75-77%) Passed
26-50 points 4.00 Conditional
0-25 points 5.00/DRP Failed/Dropped

REQUIRED WRITTEN OUTPUTS

You must complete the following written output as the final requirement for this course
taking into consideration the following guidelines:

A. WRITTEN REVIEWER
1. In a notebook, submit a hand-written reviewer/notes covered by this subject;
2. Said reviewer should reflect all the topics discussed in class and if possible, all the
topics covered in the suggested textbook/reading material;
3. Said reviewer should be able to serve as your guide and keynote during your
review in preparation for the bar exam;
4. Write legibly;
5. This output will be graded based on the content, presentation and penmanship.
6. Cite sources for the content of the reviewer.

B. CASE BRIEF (You are required to submit one case brief.  You may choose any
case/jurisprudence from any topics in this subject. 

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SUGGESTED READINGS

1) Lapitan vs. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, 60 O.G. 6841, 15 October 1963

2) The Path of the Law, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 10 Harvard Law Review 457 (1897)

3) Republic Act No. 7662 An Act Providing for Reforms in the Legal Education,
Creating for the Purpose, A Legal Education Board and for other Purposes.

4) The State of Philippine Legal Education, Revisited

5) Legal Education in the Philippines: Confronting the Issues of Relevance and

Responsiveness, Theodore O. Te, 63 PLJ Second Quarter

6) Let’s Digest (A Guide on How to Digest); and, How to write a case brief for law school:
Excerpt reproduced from Introduction to the Study of Law: Cases and Materials, Third
Edition (LexisNexis 2009) by Michael Makdisi & John Makdisi
7) Philippine Jurisprudence

COURSE SYLLABUS

INTRODUCTION TO LAW: Please note that this Syllabus is subject to change at the
discretion of the instructor to accommodate instructional and/or student needs.
 
INTRODUCTION TO LAW
Sections LAW119A, LAW119B, LAW119C & LAW119D
School Year 2020-2021
1 unit – 17 hours
 
  
 A.       Introduction
1. Define the concept of law and its elements and its classification.
2. Identify and understand the sources and bodies of law.
3. Explain the doctrine of stare decisis.
4. Understand the Philippine legal system vis-a-vis the world’s legal systems.  

B. Statutory Construction
1. Understand the basic history and terminology related to statutory enactments.
2. Understand how to read a statute.
3. Know the basic formula for analyzing a statute.
4. Understand the differences between interpretation of laws and application of laws,
construction of laws and interpretation of laws, intrinsic aids from extrinsic aids,
and, when necessary and not necessary to interpret and construct.
5. Understand the difference between strict and liberal construction.
        
C. Ethics
1. Define the concept of practice of law
2. Know the sources of legal and ethical guidelines for legal professionals.
3.  Understand basic ethical rules and disciplines governing attorney’s conduct,
including confidentiality, conflict of interest, independent professional judgment,
and compensation.
4. Understand the ethical wall and how a lawyer protects him/her from conflicts.

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 5.  Define unauthorized practice of law and how to avoid such practice.

D. Substantive Civil Law

1. Persons

2. Concept and Nature of Marriage

3. The Family

4. Property

5. General Principles about Contracts and Obligations

6. Special Contracts

7. Succession

8. Torts and Damages

E. Political Law
1. Understand basic constitutional principles.
2. Define Constitution, Political Law, Philippine Political Law, Administrative Law,
Election Law, Law of Public Officers and Law on Municipal Corporations.
3. Contra-distinguish Amendment and Revision. Determine the two steps in the
process of amendment or revision of the Constitution.
4. Understand the Bill of Rights. Define the due process of law and its requirements.
Identify the two aspects of procedural due process.
5. Understand the fundamental and inherent powers of the State.
6. Define the concept of impeachment. Identify the impeachable officials under the
1987 Constitution, the grounds and rules and procedures, and the complainant for
impeachment.
F. Criminal Law
1. Define a crime and understand its major causes. Know the sequence of events
between the commission and the disposition of a crime.

2. Define the concept of Criminal Law, its historical background, and the basic
principles of law.

3. Know the Miranda warning and its purpose.

4. Know constitutionally-protected rights and remedies by Constitutional

Amendment and understand the purpose of the various protections.

5. Know the standard of proof in criminal (and civil) cases.

6. Identify the stages in the commission of felonies, and the kinds of aggravating
circumstances.

7. Contra-distinguish Justifying Circumstances, Exempting Circumstances,

Mitigating Circumstances, Aggravating Circumstances and Alternative
Circumstances.

8. Define habitual intoxication, illiteracy, principals, accomplices and accessories.

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 9. Understand the modification of the penalty for the violation of B.P. Blg. 22.

G. Remedial Law
1. Define the concept of Remedial Law.
2. Understand the anatomy of a simple trial.
3. Identify the two kinds of civil action, different kinds of provisional remedies,
special civil action, and special proceedings, and remedies in civil cases.
4. Define and compare jurisdiction and venue, civil and criminal, mandatory
precedent and persuasive authority, equity and law, legal brief and case brief, as well
as other relevant terms.
5. Define Executor, Administrator, Administrator with a Will Annexed, Escheat,
Guardianship, Trustee, Trustor, Beneficiary, Adoption, and Habeas Corpus,
Complaint, Information.
6. Know different names of pleadings and understand basic pleadings and their
formats.
7. Identify the kinds of Evidence. Define and compare pertinent evidentiary
concepts, e.g., relevant and material, direct and circumstantial,
competent and credible, opinion and hearsay, and admission of party
opponent and declaration against interest.
8. Define certain evidentiary concepts, e.g., best evidence,
authentication, and parole evidence.
9. Understand terms related to civil procedure, e.g., due process, service of process,
affirmative defenses, compulsory and permissive counterclaim, cross-claim, pre-
trial conference, default judgment, voir dire, peremptory challenge, challenge for
cause, burden of proof prima facie case, and charge.

H. Labor Law and Social Legislation

1.  Define Labor Laws, Social Legislation, Labor Standards Law, Labor Relations
Law and contra-distinguish Labor Laws and Social Legislation.
2. Understand the general provisions of the Labor Code of the Philippines.
3. Identify the various kinds of employment.
4. Understand the basic rules to remember relative to employment, grounds for
termination, due process, and limitations for termination of probationary
employees, and the jurisprudential developments before and after the WHENPHIL
Case.
5. Identify the tests to determine whether there is an employer-employee
relationship.
6. Understand the employee’s security of tenure.
7. Identify the two kinds of regular employees.
8. Understand the jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter, NLRC, and the effect of NLRC
reversal on Labor Arbiter’s order of reinstatement.
9. Identify the important social legislations

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