A Hi-Tech College of Law

The nominees for the deanship of the UP College of Law have spoken. Professors Danilo Concepcion and Marvic Leonen have submitted their vision papers and action plans for the college. It is interesting to find the following plan in Professor Leonen's paper, Making a Real Difference: A Vision, A Plan, An Agenda for Discussion:

"6. We should continually upgrade our library and information communication technology facilities.

We should have a fully functional wifi network and make the most of the advantages provided by our local network and the internet. The establishment of a student computer loan program should be explored. Faculty members will be encouraged to make use of the internet to communicate better with their students and provide more value added in their courses."

I'm happy to find something like this in a deanship nominee's vision-action paper. I believe that it is essential for the law school to have up-to-date ICT facilities. Access to technology would help improve the quality of education being offered in the college. It would also allow more efficient delivery of services to the law school community and to the public.

A student computer loan program would be very helpful. Law students often need to make reviewers and digests for their classes. Some professors also require the submission of papers in class. A computer would also be a good investment for soon-to-be lawyers who would greatly rely on computers to make the required pleadings.

Perhaps this plan could also include an upgrading of the OLA computers. The interns depend on these computers to make their manifestations, motions, petitions, etc. And considering how busy everyone is and how everyone seems to be in a rush to meet deadlines, fast computers are a must. But ask any intern and he or she will have a horror story about these slow OLA computers. I always feel like hyperventilating due to impatience everytime I try to use them. It doesn't help that most of them don't have USB ports or CD drives. Most of the time, the interns are forced to do their work at home in order to avoid the problematic computers. In order to address this problem, I believe that the OLA's ICT facilities must also be upgraded. In doing so, it can better serve its clients.

I know that upgrading the law school's ICT facilities would require funding which may not be easy to find. But hopefully, the next dean will be able to help the college raise the funds needed to implement this plan. I also hope that Professor Concepcion would come up with a similar plan should he be appointed as the next dean of the college.

While 90% of legal education would be about learning the law, I believe that the other 10% should be about making it easier for the students to learn it. And an incorporation of updated ICT facilities in the college would definitely make it easier and perhaps even more fun for the law students.