SO YOU WANT TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL?

'A jealous mistress,' 'hell on earth' - is law school really as bad as they say? We talked to law students for the real intel on what makes it all worth it

- By CIDEE DESPI

When I first watched Bar Boys: The Musical in 2024, I was in my penultimate year of law school. At that point, I had been a working law student for four years, and I was, to put it mildly, exhausted. My Instagram story from that day, a video of the curtain call, is captioned: "Hay sige na mag-aaral na ako for midterms, seryoso na.

I can still remember that season vividly: I was downing four cups of coffee a day, staying in cafes beyond midnight, and was in desperate need of a massage. I was tired and cranky, as I usually am during exam season, and watching Bar Boys felt like the universe speaking directly to me: This is why.

It was a much-needed reminder to me, a tired law student — and, as it turns out, even to some who are not.

Ivan Eric Salvador, a current doctorate student in public administration, isn't a law student. At least, not yet. But thanks to Bar Boys, he's now seriously considering taking the leap.

Jerard "Je" Fable, a recent Ateneo Law School graduate, says, "Law school was, at the same time, everything that I expected and nothing that I could've imagined in my life."

As a big fan of the Bar Boys film, Ivan flew from Zamboanga to Metro Manila to watch the musical. "I was a spectator," he reflects, "but the musical made me realize: gusto ko rin ma-feel na what if I have power? The power to shape the outcomes of the reality we are experiencing?"

Ivan has been a regional information officer for the Department of Social Work and Development for over a decade, which has exposed him to the raw social realities of the country. Watching the musical, he realized that every decision made by lawyers can pave the way for true justice. "I want someone who looks after those who cannot protect themselves," he shares, "who can help provide justice and help them with their situation."