College of Law

The Northwestern University-College of Law was established in 1949 with the late Judge Felix R. Domingo as the first Dean of the College. The damage brought by World War II and the uncertainty of sustaining the college did not hinder the incorporators of Northwestern to realize their vision of producing lawyers who will defend the cause of the oppressed and the disadvantaged. Four years thereafter, the college produced 27 graduates with Zoilo Aguinaldo earning a spot as one of the bar topnotchers.

Extraneous factors led to the difficulty decision of voluntary phasing out the program in 1977. With the lifting of Martial Law and a favorable political climate, the institution re-applied for the opening of the course. In 1984, a new permit was granted to operate the said program with Atty. Leonardo Quisumbing, a legal luminary as the Dean. Since then, the College has consistently produced lawyers who are now leading barristers, judges and occupying key positions in both public and private agencies.
A major breakthrough in the history of the College of Law took place when the College placed fourth over-all in terms of performance in the Bar among all law schools in the country and first place outside Metro Manila.

To date, under present management, the Northwestern College of Law has established linkages with the Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee Foundation and the Ateneo School of Law to further improve the quality of education and services that the university offers.

Objectives

• To train students in the practice of law in accordance with the highest ethical standards;
• To train students to be able to teach law and to write law books and legal articles in a clear, concise, complete, and correct manner;
• To teach students to search for the law, and to analyze and apply it;
• To teach students to recognize deficiencies in current law and to suggest what the law ought to be;
• To train students to become leaders of the community and the nation;
• To prepare students for government service;
• To inculcate in the students such values as honesty, diligence, perseverance and equal justice to all.