Our bar candidates and future colleagues,

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) wishes you the best as you brave the final hurdle in your journey toward becoming lawyers. We recognize and congratulate you for enduring the hardships and sacrifices demanded by law school and bar review. While the pressure surely mounts as the date of the bar exams draws nearer, remember that your hard work and determination will not betray you.

Despite the prestige attached to the bar exams, know that it is no different from any other test you have taken before. It is merely a door, a passage that will open a path to various opportunities and responsibilities. It is not a measure of your character, nor will it define you as individuals or as lawyers. Ultimately, it is you who will set your path ablaze. It is what you do with these opportunities and responsibilities that will be remembered.

In facing this final hurdle, we ask that you remember the people who await you and your success: the toiling masses who have been bravely resisting injustices and inequalities brought about by the semi-colonial and semi-feudal nature of our society; and our courageous clients, whose causes and calls you have embodied and advanced as law students. May the noble cause of serving others solidify your courage and drive as you overcome the obstacles ahead of you in the coming days.

Soon, you will be part of a profession that plays an indispensable role in defending the truth and attaining justice. We urge you to look beyond personal ambition and financial success, and to keep in mind the ever-present need for lawyers in advancing a just and humane society.

We have full faith that you will emerge victorious from this arduous challenge. We ask that you also trust yourselves and believe that your hard work has been worth it.

To our bar takers: Good luck, and keep the flame alive. The masses await!