The 开元真人 Law Clinic (DLC) is the full-service law office of the 开元真人罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law. Similar to a teaching hospital and medical school, the DLC is the venue for the students to become law student practitioners (LSPs) in preparation for a fulfilling legal career. Since 2013, with the first batch of seniors of the law school, the DLC has been at the forefront of molding lawyers deeply committed to promoting and protecting human rights.
The DLC subscribes to the framework of Developmental Legal Advocacy conceived by the late Senator Jose W. Diokno, one of the prominent Lasallians in the field of law. His life and work to uplift the lives of the oppressed is the inspiration for this Lasallian brand of educating and forming lawyers with a clear bias for the disadvantaged sectors of society.
SERVICES
DLC Primary Services
As of 2021, the DLC has provided free legal service to hundreds of clients, mainly听 on the following:
Litigation听
The DLC accepts clients in need of representation to enforce or defend their rights in a dispute or matter within the jurisdiction of a court or administrative agency. In recent years, we have handled cases on ownership or possessory rights, labor disputes, clarification of civil status, adoption, damages for injury to persons with disability, and change of name.
Transaction and Compliance Advisory
We accept clients requiring representation and advice in transactions with private parties and compliance with government regulations. We are biased for providing services to social enterprises, non-government organizations servicing the marginalized, and micro-enterprises of the most vulnerable.听
Policy Research听
Our research thrust in the DLC is founded on the need for legal research of advocacy groups focused on advocating for policies that will benefit the most vulnerable and marginalized in our society. We do not go into policy research simply because the topic is interesting. We undertake research in service of a clear and identifiable set of clients.听
Community Empowerment听
The DLC has undertaken activities that popularize the law. We believe that the law is a tool for the community to assert their rights and that our people are at the forefront of social change, not lawyers. We are open to groups requiring legal clinics, extended training programs, or materials development to popularize the law.
DLC Legal Aid Materials
To complement its litigation and advocacy works and to further expand the reach of its services, the DLC has produced reading materials and video explainers, primarily through the efforts of interns with the guidance of their supervising attorneys. They are accessible through this website.
The reading materials are easy-to-read guides and/or primers for the public on the following topics: (a) Domestic Adoption; (b) Natural Resources and Environmental Law听 (c) Establishment of Cooperatives; (d) Intercountry Adoption; (e) Rights of Senior Citizens (f) Law Against Child Abuse (g) Small Business Registration (h) Replacement of Lost or Destroyed Documents and, (i) Financial Benefits for Centenarians.听
These materials were designed especially for the public so that they may better understand their rights under the law, and know certain legal processes that may be applicable to their individual concerns. The DLC plans to develop more legal materials on the following topics: Solo Parents鈥 Act, OFWs, Magna Carta for Women, DNA Evidence, and Children in Conflict with Law.
The DLC Primers
VIDEOS
These videos are about the Proceedings for Hospitalization of Insane Persons, Judicial Approval for Voluntary Recognition of Minor Natural Children, Constitution of Family Home, Absentees, and Appeal in Special Proceedings.
Rule 101 – Proceedings for Hospitalization of Insane Persons
Rule 105 – Judicial Approval for Voluntary Recognition of Minor Natural Children
Rule 106 – Constitution of Family Home
Rule 107 – Absentees
Rule 109 – Appeal in Special Proceedings
THE DLC TEAM
The DLC Supervising Lawyers
The DLC is managed as a regular law firm. It has its own Manual for Operations which all supervising lawyers, law-student practitioners, and support staff must strictly follow.听
The DLC operates under a Management Committee composed of the Dean, the Assistant Dean for Clinical Legal Education and the DLAC Executive Director. The Executive Director manages the general operation and supervises the daily activities of the Center.听
The DLC also has a set of Supervising Lawyers, Team Mentors, and Subject Matter Experts. The Supervising Attorneys directly supervises all the activities of the law student practitioner relating to law student practice. They personally appear together with the law student practitioners before the courts in the cases handled and assume personal professional responsibility for the work performed by the law student practitioner.听
On the other hand, the Team Mentors are faculty members whose duty is to provide guidance to the students in their studies and their life in law school.听
Subject Matter Experts, as the name implies, are faculty members with vast experience and in-depth expertise in particular law subjects who may be asked to assist in handling specific cases, transactions, or legal missions.听
The Center is likewise ably supported by a team of legal secretaries and technical/administrative assistant, and messenger.

VIRGILIO R. DE LOS REYES
Dean
Dean Gil de los Reyes has been a Lasallian since grade school. He began his career as a high school teacher in 1983. Dean de los Reyes had extensive litigation and transaction advisory practice focusing on land and property. His pro bono publico practice was in defense of the rights of agrarian reform beneficiaries. With Atty. Jose Manuel I. Diokno, he established the College of Law of De La Salle University.
In recognition of his long experience in agrarian reform, he was appointed as the Secretary of Agrarian Reform by President Benigno S. Aquino III in 2010 and served until 2016. As secretary, he instituted reforms in the organization of the bureaucracy, support service delivery, land distribution, and land acquisition. He has characterized his tenure in implementing one of the most contentious social programs as taking a hard look at reality, free of preconceived notions, and taking steps to听address the dysfunctions in implementation. Since 2016, Dean de los Reyes has been involved with multilateral organizations focusing on agriculture and property rights. He is a member of the Working Group on the Legal Structure of Agricultural Enterprises convened by the UNIDROIT, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Education
- Master of the Science of Law,听Stanford University听(Fellow, Stanford Program in International Legal Studies)
- Master of Arts in International Relations,听Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy听(scholarship grantee)
- Bachelor of Laws,听University of the Philippines-Diliman
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, the听University of the Philippines 鈥 Diliman
Courses
International Economic Law, Law, and Economic Development, Property Law, Land Titles and Deeds, Agrarian Reform Law

NESTOR M. LEYNES, III
Associate Dean for Clinical Legal Education
Atty. Leynes is a proud graduate of La Salle Greenhills for his Grade School and High School. After completing his legal education in 1999, he began his first six years of practice in the Litigation Department of Carpio Villaraza and Cruz where he made Senior Associate in three years. Atty. Leynes then formed his own law firm and is a Founding Partner of LGTON Law 鈥 a full-service firm with over 50 lawyers. Since then, he has specialized in litigation and alternative modes of dispute resolution involving intra-corporate controversies, financial rehabilitation and insolvency, and other forms of commercial litigation.
In the academe, Atty. Leynes is one of the first professional lecturers of the De La Salle University, 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 School of Law having had the opportunity to teach its primus batch. He previously served as the Director for External Relations of the institution during its early years. Atty. Leynes is also a faculty member of the University of the Philippines, College of Law, and had teaching loads at the Far Eastern University, Institute of Law as part of its then joint JD-MBA program with the De La Salle University, College of Business. Atty. Leynes was also an accredited lecturer of Trial and Pre-trial Skills for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education program.
Education
- Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines 鈥 Diliman
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, University of the Philippines 鈥 Diliman
Courses
Civil Procedure, Evidence, Obligations and Contracts, Corporation Law, Transportation, Maritime and Public Utilities Law

GREGORIO T. VITERBO JR.
Supervising Lawyer, Professional Lecturer
Atty. Viterbo is a human rights lawyer, law professor and human rights advocate. For the past thirty (30) years, his work involved the handling of cases, and giving training not only to law students and lawyers, but also to non-lawyers.听
Atty. Viterbo has also been involved in writing and editing human rights manuals/materials and networking with both national and international lawyers groups, Non-Governmental Organization(s), and government institutions such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Since 1989, Atty. Viterbo has been a part of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and is currently the Regional Coordinator for Metro Manila. As part of FLAG, he handles human rights cases pro-bono and is part of FLAG Anti-Death Penalty Task Force. Furthermore, he also handled pro-bono cases for the deaf community and has given paralegal training seminars to marginalized sectors of Philippine society.
Atty. Viterbo is likewise the administrative partner in Sanidad Viterbo Enriquez & Tan Law Firm where he handles all litigation related cases including intellectual property cases, adoption cases, labor relations cases, corporate housekeeping, and cases of the deaf.听
Atty. Viterbo has worked in different countries such as Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam as a facilitator, consultant, lecturer on Developmental Legal Advocacy and other workshops in relation to his human rights advocacies. He is also an active member of various affiliations such as the Good Lawyer Project, Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon/Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon Catholic Prayer Community, among others.听
Atty. Viterbo has taught various law subjects in St. Paul鈥檚 University, Quezon City, San Sebastian Recoletos Manila, University of the Philippines Diliman, and Adamson University Manila. Currently, he is a law professor in 开元真人College of Law and one of the supervising lawyers in the Developmental Legal Advocacy Center.听
Education
- Diplomacy Training Program Certificate, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia听
- Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines
- AB Philosophy, University of the Philippines
Courses
Practice Court 1 and 2, and Clinical Legal Education

MINERVA M.B. AMBROSIO
Supervising Lawyer
Atty. Ambrosio is a human rights lawyer. She was a legal aid lawyer for the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Manila Chapter from 1988 to 2004. From 1999 to 2013, she was also a Deputy director for the IBP鈥檚 National Committee on Legal Aid (NCLA) where she headed the Committee鈥檚 pro bono program involving diverse issues covering ranging from cases involving labor and migration to cases involving the protection of human rights and press freedom. During this time, she was also a legal consultant for the Child Protection Unit of the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital Department of Medicine (UP-PGH).听
Atty. Ambrosio became the National Director for the National Center for Legal Aid from 2013 to 2015 and again in 2017 to 2019. Atty. Ambrosio was also a lawyer for the Department of Social Welfare and Development 鈥 National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) where she handled landmark cases on child abuse, child trafficking cases, and cases involving children in conflict with the law.
Atty. Ambrosio is also a founding member of International Pro-Bono Alliance (iPBA) which is an organization composed of lawyers from various countries in Asia assisting migrant workers. In addition, she is the Vice President for the Judicial Affairs and on the Board of Trustees for UP University of the Philippines Women Lawyers Circle (UPWILOCI), an organization of female lawyers who are alumnae of the UP College of Law and extend legal assistance to disadvantaged women.
From 1998 up to the present, Atty. Ambrosio is the President of the Child Justice League, Inc., (CJLI), the first non-governmental organization of lawyers which renders legal aid to children, and advocates for special causes and the passage of laws beneficial to women and children. Furthermore, she is currently a lecturer for the UP Law Center Paralegal Training program.
Education
- Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines 鈥 College of Law
- Bachelor of Arts Economics, University of the Philippines School of Economics听
Courses
Practice Court 1 and 2, and Clinical Legal Education

ARMAND H. MEJIA
Supervising Lawyer
Atty. Mejia has been a practicing lawyer for the past 31 years. His areas of practice include civil, criminal, administrative, labor, family, environmental, and agrarian reform law cases. He is also a teacher and development worker.
Most notably, Atty. Mejia provided legal support for the science and advocacy programs of the Haribon Foundation and assisted the Ikalahan indigenous peoples and the Haribon Foundation Inc. in a case before the Supreme Court. He has also prosecuted violations under Republic Act No. 8550 or the Fisheries Code of the Philippines and under Presidential Decree No. 705 or the Forestry Code of the Philippines
Through his years of practice, Atty. Mejia developed a diverse skillset due to his experience in both the private and public sector. Notably, he has served as a Branch Clerk of Court in the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City (Br 90), and as an associate solicitor general in the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) where he represented the State in criminal cases on appeal, and handled civil suits against government officials and employees, land registration cases, expropriation, adoption, and other special proceedings.听听
Atty. Mejia has also served as the Executive Director for the Mediators鈥 Network for Sustainable Peace, Inc. (MedNet).
Currently, Atty. Mejia is a partner at the Mejia Olegario and Velasco Law Office, a legal consultant for the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and a recognized Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Neutral of the Mediators鈥 Network for Sustainable Peace (MedNet), an Accredited ADR Provider Organization (APOR) of the Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR) of the Department of Justice (DOJ). He is also a senior lecturer for the Miriam College Foundation Inc., College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
Education
- Master of Laws, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
- Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of the Philippines
Courses
Practice Court 1 and 2, Legal Forms and Clinical Legal Education

MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER C. DE CASTRO
Supervising Lawyer, Founder, LefLegis Legal Services
Atty. Michael De Castro excels in jerry-rigging unconventional solutions to intractable problems. To his clients, he is a troubleshooter; 听to his opponents, a troublemaker.
His work encompasses strategic litigation, financial & regulatory compliance, and public interest matters. Through his efforts, exactly 502 people have been freed, billions have been awarded, and dozens of companies have been guided through the dense jungle that is the Philippine legal system.
He founded Leflegis in 2020, which is simultaneously a firm dedicated to cultivating the core principles of democracy and a platform for legal professionals and advocates alike to do work they can be proud of.
Education
- Juris Doctor, University of the Philippines
- Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, University of the Philippines
Course
Clinical Legal Education
The DLC Law Student Practitioners
Students of the 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law are required to undergo an internship with the DLC as part of their CLEP. But more than being an academic requirement, internship with the DLC gives an opportunity for the students to experience how it is to practice law in the real world. This facilitates their understanding of legal concepts, which will be useful in their preparation for the bar examinations. Consequently, involvement with the DLC provides the students a glimpse of a lawyer鈥檚 professional life after passing the bar examinations.
While taking regular academic courses, the students litigate, engage in legal advocacy work. and provide legal education and advice to actual clients. They will appear in court and tribunals in actual cases and sign motions and pleadings under the supervision of a supervising lawyer.听
The students are guided, mentored, and supervised by faculty members who are themselves experienced legal practitioners. Thus, the law student practitioners are expected to perform to the best of their abilities while clients have the guarantee that their cases are professionally and competently handled.听
In addition to fielding law student practitioners to litigation work, the Center also immerses the students to participate in legal missions, do policy research, and conduct webinars.听
In legal missions, the students visit the 开元真人-supported communities to provide free legal advice and assistance to community residents. This is usually done in coordination with the 开元真人 Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA), non-government organizations, social enterprises, and church groups. Policy research, along with other advocacy work, on the other hand, are done, in collaboration with the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG). Students hone their research skills on special topics involving human rights issues. Finally, the DLC, also with the 开元真人 COSCA, organizes webinars to educate the general public on certain important legal topics involving their rights.
REFLECTIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS LAW STUDENT PRACTITIONERS
CLIENTS AND PARTNERS
Clients
The DLC caters exclusively to the disadvantaged sectors. As the 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law gives emphasis on human rights, the DLC鈥檚 primary clients are those with cases or legal concerns involving actual or threatened violations of human rights. While the law school has allocated a budget for operations of DLC, the latter can only accommodate a certain number of clients due to its limited resources and manpower. Because of this, client applicants who are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, following the criteria set by the Management Committee, are prioritized. Once accepted, the clients receive full attention and service from the DLC Team.听
While the DLC functions and operates as a law office, as an integral part of our educational philosophy and the Revised Student Practice Rule, the selection of clients is based on three-tiered criteria set by the Management Committee:
Educational value
Clients are selected based on the learning value that the students may derive from handling the client鈥檚 concerns. The foundation of the CLEP is experiential learning that will prepare our students for the practice of law and integrate the doctrine with praxis.听
Promotion of human rights
We believe that promoting and protecting the bundle of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights is the Christian lawyer鈥檚 contribution to building God鈥檚 kingdom on earth. Our bias for the marginalized and most vulnerable in our society compels us to select clients whose concerns contribute to this mission.听
Availability of Experts听
We strive to provide the best service to our clients. The Rule requires supervising lawyers, members of our faculty, to direct and manage the rendition of our services. LSPs are not left on their own. Our supervising lawyers are not only top lawyers in their fields but are also extensively trained to be educators and mentors. We accept clients whose concerns are within the ambit of available expertise among our faculty.听
Some of these clients have expressed gratitude and satisfaction in the professional manner by which their cases and concerns were handled by the team of law student practitioners and supervising attorneys.听
Partners
The DLC is open to forging partnerships with organizations that will serve as our bridge and partner in working with clients. The needs of our potential clients are seldom addressed solely by legal representation. Our resources as an institution are limited. While we work with organizations, we are mindful of defining the party with whom we form a lawyer-client relationship. Once this relationship is forged, our office is bound by Canons of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
List of Partner Organizations:听
Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA)听
(FLAG)
(CDA)
(ERDA)
(MAG)
Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF)
听
ABOUT
History and Philosophy
The 开元真人College of Law, now the 开元真人罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law, was founded in 2009 to welcome the centennial year of Lasallian presence in the Philippines. In pursuance of its mission as a Catholic university, 开元真人 established a law school that would contribute to nation-building by advocating human rights and producing lawyers who will render effective legal services to the disadvantaged.听
The first step towards this goal would be to accept students and educate and train them to become competent, ethical, and service-oriented lawyers. The next step would be to create a legal advocacy program that provides legal assistance to those in need, and at the same time, develops students as socially aware and technically capable legal practitioners. Hence, the 开元真人 Law Clinic (DLC) was founded by the 开元真人 College of Law in 2013.听
The Center鈥檚 operations are guided by the following tenets: (a) Lasallian values of the spirit of faith, zeal for service and communion in mission, (b) Developmental Legal Advocacy, and (c) Human Rights. These tenets are interrelated to each other as the philosophy of DLAC draws largely from human rights and the core values of the Lasallian identity. Development Legal Advocacy is the approach by which human rights are better protected and fully promoted, through the spirit of faith, zeal for service, and communion in mission.听
The DLAC is the main pillar of the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) of the 开元真人 College of Law. Participation of the students in the DLAC is meant to complement the teaching of law courses designed to hone the legal practice skills of students, which is the second pillar of CLEP. The third pillar is the apprenticeship program in law offices (public and private). Altogether, these three components of the 开元真人 College of Law CLEP seek to enhance its graduates鈥 legal practice readiness.听
In 2019, after a decade of existence, the 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law was one of the few schools with a full-blown mandatory CLEP upon the issuance of the Revised Student Practice Rule by the Philippine Supreme Court.听
鈥淐linical Legal Education Program is an experiential, interactive and reflective credit-earning teaching course with the objectives of providing law students with practical knowledge, skills, and values necessary for the application of the law, delivery of legal services and promotion of social justice and public interest, especially to the marginalized while inculcating in the students the values of ethical lawyering and public service.鈥 (Section 2, Administrative Matter No. 19-03-24)
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is inherent in the educational philosophy of the 开元真人罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law. The CLEP prepares our students for the challenges, responsibilities, and rewards of a life dedicated to the pursuit of justice.听
Lasallian Formation and CLEP
The Lasallian formation program allows faith to take root in the entire law school experience. The law school envisions faith to grow alongside the curriculum to influence the holistic formation of our law students.听
In 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law, we believe that experiences in law school are opportunities for students to bring God鈥檚 kingdom to fruition through the law student practice. Lasallian lawyers are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world and active agents in making the world a place of peace and justice.听
Guided by this goal, our Formation Team accompanies law student practitioners (LSPs) in processing and reflecting on their interaction with our clients and society.听
CLEP is an Integrator of Knowledge
The 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law sees CLEP as an integrator to deepen our students鈥 knowledge of legal doctrines. The CLEP is equally important as,and supplements the review courses offered in the terminal year of law school. Experiential learning not only prepares our students for the practice of law, but also for the bar exams.听
CLEP and Practice-Ready Lawyers听
The CLEP at 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law is delivered via four courses with a load of 0.5 units per course, spread over the last two years of legal education. The two years allow our students to be engaged with our clients for an extended period. Our students are given the opportunity to immerse themselves with social reality and the lives of the most vulnerable in our society. This approach enables our students to taste a wider breadth of law practice. It does not limit them only to litigation or community empowerment. The four semesters expose our students to transaction and compliance advisory, and policy research. With CLEP and our intensive courses on legal writing, philosophy, pleading and practice forms, trial practice, drafting of legal forms, our students will be practice-ready.听听
CONTACT US
The 开元真人 罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law has dedicated a space for the DLC Office at 4th Floor of the 开元真人 Rufino Campus at University Parkway, 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Clients who need legal representation or other legal services may come to the office to schedule a consultation with the team of lawyers and law student practitioners.
开元真人罢补帽补诲补-顿颈辞办苍辞 College of Law
开元真人 LAW CLINIC
LOCATION
开元真人 Rufino Campus, 38th St., University Parkway,听Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email Address: [email protected]
Tel. No.: (632) 8877-9244
Mobile No.: 0917-6355189
Contact Person: Mr. Reggie Reyes