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Maureen Antonette B. Ledesma, De La Salle University, PhilippinesKenrich Anthony D. Bereber, West Visayas State University, Philippines
Abstract
Career planning plays a crucial role in helping university graduates transition from academic study to professional practice. In the Philippines, legal education has traditionally emphasized preparation for the bar examination, often leaving broader career planning underdeveloped. This qualitative descriptive study explored the career planning strategies of graduating law students in the Philippines through three focus group discussions involving fifteen final-year students from selected law schools. The discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings show that bar examination preparation remains the dominant orientation of career planning; however, students also consider alternative pathways in government service, corporate legal roles, academia, and regulatory work. Participants reported using professional networking, prior work experience, disciplined study routines, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities as preparation strategies. They also identified major barriers, including financial constraints, work-study balance challenges, psychological pressure, and limited institutional career guidance. The study underscores the need for Philippine law schools to strengthen career development initiatives through structured counseling, mentoring, and expanded experiential learning opportunities to support adaptable and resilient graduates.
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Conference: ACEID2026Stream: Educational Research
This paper is part of the ACEID2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Ledesma M., & Bereber K. (2026) Career Planning Strategies of Graduating Law Students in the Philippines: Implications for Legal Education and Workforce Development ISSN: 2189-101X – The Asian Conference on Education & International Development 2026 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 87-96) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2026.8
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2026.8
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