Two Ateneo universities have joined forces to inaugurate the inaugural master of laws program in the Zamboanga Peninsula region. The collaboration between Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) Rosendo U. Castillo Jr. College of Law and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) School of Law was formalized at the Carlos Dominguez Conference Hall on ADZU’s Salvador Campus in Zamboanga City.
The LL.M. program, intended for individuals pursuing an advanced postgraduate degree in law, will commence in August. This initiative aims to enhance legal expertise in the region, enabling lawyers from Zamboanga to pursue their master’s degree. Upon successful completion of the two-year program, graduates will receive their diplomas from ADMU.
Father Guillrey Anthony Andal, ADZU president, emphasized that the introduction of the new program aligns with the Jesuit mission of delivering high-quality education, particularly as no institution in the Zamboanga Peninsula currently offers such an opportunity. Prior to the ADZU-ADMU collaboration, local lawyers were required to travel to Manila or Cebu to pursue this course, which is available at select institutions including the University of the Philippines, San Beda College, Manuel L. Quezon University, University of Santo Tomas, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and the University of Southern Philippines in Cebu City.
Faculty members from the ADMU School of Law will conduct enrollment and classes at ADZU. They will travel to Zamboanga for in-person classes. Lawyer Ryan Jeremiah Quan, ADMU program officer, said the curriculum includes basic courses, major courses, elective courses, and research. He said the basic courses include fundamentals of thesis writing, methods of research, a seminar on comparative legal studies, and contemporary developments in international law.
Spanning four semesters or two years, the LL.M. program will specialize in international human rights law, offering a majority of elective courses in dispute resolution, Quan explained. The signing ceremony included Father Guillrey Anthony Andal, ADZU's Vice President for Higher Education Father Rene Tacastacas, Dean Cora Montemor of ADZU's College of Law, Dean Jose Maria Hofileña of ADMU's School of Law, and Director Amparita Sta. Maria of ADMU's Graduate Legal Studies Institute.
