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The University of San Agustin College of Law, also known as USA Law, is the law school of the University of San Agustin. It was founded in 1939, and is located in the University of San Agustin, General Luna St. Iloilo City, Philippines.

History
The University of San Agustin College of Law was founded in the year 1939 by Fr. Dolce Garcia OSA, Rector of the then Colegio de San Agustin, and Atty. Felipe Ysmael (UP College of Law ’17; topnotcher of the 1917 Bar Examinations), as the founding dean. In 1947, Atty. Benjamin H. Tirol (UST Faculty of Civil Law ’26) became the second dean of the college. The 1947 Bar Examinations produced its first seven Attorneys, who have since been referred to as the College’s “seven wise men”. Among them was Antonio Montelibano, the first Bar Placer of the College who obtained the 3rd highest grade in 1947 Bar Examinations with an average of 91.75%. Carolina C. Griño and Rodolfo Ganzon, who were topnotcher and 3rd placer, respectively, in 1949 Bar Examinations, commenced their legal education at the college. Atty. Griño later became a Supreme Court Justice, while Atty. Ganzon became a senator, as well as congressman and mayor of Iloilo City.

Dean Benjamin H. Tirol retired in 1968 and Atty. Corazon C. Miraflores (UP College of Law ‘36), became the third dean of the College. Cornelio Guizon, topnotcher of the 1963 Bar examination, also started his legal education at the College of Law and became Undersecretary of the Department of Finance. In 1977, Dean Miraflores was succeeded by Atty. Cesar T. Tirol, Ll.D. (’55), who obtained his doctor of laws (sobresaliente) from the Universidad de Madrid. Under his term and administration being the college’s 4th dean, the College received its initial accreditation from the Philippines Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU) in 1979, the first law school ever to be so accredited in the Philippines; it opened its pre-bar review classes in 1981, the first bar review outside Metro Manila; in 1988 the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) awarded the College a certificate of recognition for its graduates’ performance in the Bar Examinations from 1987 to 1989. After 20 years at the helm of the College, Dean Cesar T. Tirol retired in 1997 and was conferred the title Dean Emeritus by the University’s Board of Trustees.

Atty. Juana Judita P. Panigbatan-Nafarrete, Ll.M. (’94), was appointed the fifth dean shortly after obtaining her masters of laws (Summa Cum laude) from the University of Santo Tomas as a scholar of the University of San Agustin. She implemented the “quality admission, quality retention policy” and the revised model law curriculum which included the comprehensive examination during the 4th year of the law course.

In 2011, the Legal Education Board (LEB) recognized the College as an Outstanding Law School for having the tenth highest ranking in the collated Bar Examinations scores from 2001-2010 among the 124 law schools in the country. On the same occasion, the LEB conferred upon Dean Nafarrete and the deans of the other top 10 law schools were recognized as Outstanding Law Dean.

The 6th and the current dean of the college is Atty. Jose Mari Benjamin F.U. Tirol, Ll.M. (’98), the grandson and son of Deans Benjamin H. and Cesar T. Tirol, respectively. He has been teaching in the College of Law since 2000 and was appointed Dean effective April 15, 2014. The 3rd Dean Tirol obtained his Master of Laws (Cum Laude) from the University of Sto. Tomas, has been practicing law and teaching in the College of Law since becoming a lawyer, and is the author of law books and various legal articles. It was during his term that the University of San Agustin and the University of Santo Tomas, through their respective graduate schools, opened the Masters of Laws consortium in Iloilo City. The consortium has an inaugural class of seven lawyer-students, five of whom are members of the college’s corps of professors, who are taking their post-graduate studies as scholars of the University and of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). It was also during his term that the College achieved the first of its victories in moot court competitions.

Curriculum
Beginning the second semester of academic year 2018-2019, graduates of the USA College of Law are now conferred the degree of Juris Doctor (Non-thesis), pursuant to Legal Education Board Memorandum Order No. 19, Series of 2018. The LEB approved the Revised Model Law Curriculum of the College of Law effective academic year 2022-2023, pursuant to LEBMO No. 24, Series of 2021. Under this revised curriculum, the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) courses are stand-alone courses. The College also offers new courses and enhances existing courses as part of its commitment under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Legal and Social Advancement in the Philippines (CALESA) Project.

Authorship of Law books by the members of faculty
The following faculty members of the College of Law have successfully authored and published law books:


 * Evolution and Mutations in the Philippine Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence with Time-Table for Lawyers 2021 Edition - Dean Emeritus Cesar T. Tirol and Dean Jose Mari Benjamin Francisco U. Tirol (Rex Bookstore)


 * A “Promdi” Guide to Alternative Resolution 2023 Edition - Atty. Joenar D. Pueblo (Rex Bookstore)
 * The Law of Evidence and Trial Techniques (2019 and 2021 Editions) - Atty. Eduardo T. Reyes, III
 * The Law on Property and Essentials of Land Registration, 2024 Edition - Atty. Eduardo T. Reyes, III

Bar Exam Performance
According to the Legal Education Board's report covering the years 2011-2020, the College of Law attained the highest passing percentage and number of successful bar candidates in the Western Visayas region. In the 2022 Bar Examinations, the College of Law earned the 5th spot in performance among all Philippine law schools with 51 to 100 first-time takers, achieving an impressive passing rate of 63.53%. The College, along with the other top-performing law schools, received commendation from the Supreme Court, conveyed by the 2022 Bar Examination Chair Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, during the oath-taking ceremony of new lawyers on May 2, 2023, held at the PICC, Manila.

Moot Court Competition Accomplishments

 * 3rd Place, 2017 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law
 * 3rd Place, 2019 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law
 * 1st Runner-Up, 2020 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law
 * Semifinalist, 25th Stetson International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, Southeast Asian Regional Rounds
 * Champion, 2021 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law
 * Quarterfinalist, 22nd Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition for the Asia-Pacific Region
 * Champion, 2022 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law
 * 1st Runner-up, 10th Annual Asia-Pacific Regional Rounds, Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition
 * Champion, 27th Stetson International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, Southeast Asian Regional Rounds
 * Semifinalist, 27th Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition
 * 5th Place, 16th Annual Asia-Pacific Regional Rounds, Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition
 * Champion, 2023 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law
 * Champion, 2024 DivinaLaw- UST Philippine Jessup Cup
 * Champion, 22nd Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition for the Asia-Pacific Region

National and International Linkages

 * Masters of Laws consortium together with the University of Santo Tomas
 * Partnership with the Philippine Arbitration Center in the Visayas (PACV), headed by Faculty Member Atty. Joenar Pueblo. The PACV is the first and only school-based arbitration center in Southeast Asia, is a fully functioning arbitration center accredited with the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC), and was the first arbitration center in the Philippines to adopt fully virtual/online hearings.
 * Partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) for the capacity-building of its professors and students to fully implement the Revised Law Student Practice (LSP) Rule.
 * Environmental Defense Program partnership with the Ateneo Law School for law students to participate in their Summer Internship Programs.
 * Erasmus+ KA107 International Credit Mobility (ICM) Staff Mobility Training at the Facultad de Derecho of the Universidad de Malaga, Spain for members of the Faculty.
 * Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Legal and Social Advancement in the Philippines (CALESA), a three-year consortium which commenced in 2020 with the following members, including the College of Law: Universidad de Malaga (lead institution), Universidad de Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, in Lisbon, Portugal, University College Dublin, Ireland, the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, the Philippine Judicial Academy, and the Supreme Court of the Philippines.