There's a new lawyer in town...

by Vic Battad

Jason Ibanez enrolled in the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) in 1991 as a 16 year-old kid because he wanted to take up B.S. Math in UP, but that did not materialize. After just one semester, he transferred to the Philippine Normal University (PNU) in Cadiz City and took BS Education instead. His short stint in UPV gave him a very memorable time though --- it was there that he joined the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity “Trianggulo ‘91”, and it was there where he was elected as Representative of the College of Arts and Sciences (upon the prodding of the then President of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Brod Randy Malayao* to the Student Government. (*Click to read Free Randy Malayao).

After graduating from PNU, he taught for a while in the same school. Not satisfied with his chosen career, he decided in 1998 to take Bachelor of Laws in Silliman University where he earned his LLB in 2002. Having been admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2003, he practiced law in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental until March 2006 when he migrated to Canada.

Wanting to practice his Law profession, he went to CDI College and took a Legal Administrative course. Shortly before graduation in Jan 2007, he was hired as Court Registry Clerk in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Vancouver Law Courts and worked there till December 2011. While working, he had his Philippine legal credentials assessed by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) of lawyers in Canada. He was required to either go back to law school for some more subjects or challenge the subjects through exams administered by NCA. He opted for the lesser costly one so, he took all the eight exams and passed them and got his Certificate of Qualification from the NCA in December 2009. He did all these --- while working full time, adjusting to married life and being a doting father to a new baby.

Then, he looked for an Articling Position (requirement for the Barristers and Solicitors Exam) which took quite long. He was eventually accepted by the John Carlisle Law Office in Vancouver and he started his nine-month internship in January 2012 with the condition that he had to finish the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) by April 2012. Also known as the Bar Admission Program, the PLTC is a 10-week course, the culmination of which is the passing of the Barristers and Solicitors Exams. Also included are two (2) oral assessments (Advocacy and Interviewing) and two (2) written assessments (Contract Drafting and Legal Opinion Letter).

Results were released on May 4, 2012 and Jason passed all the aforementioned requirements. He is currently finishing the remaining months of his internship and he will be formally called to the Bar before the year ends.

Jason is the youngest of four children born to Victor Ibanez and the late Dr. Estela Escalona Ibanez. The eldest, Vinzon, is a cancer researcher with the University of Illinois in Chicago. Another sibling, Damon, an Aircraft Maintenance graduate, is also based in Chicago. Maria Victoria, the only sister in the brood, is a medical doctor working in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

Jason is married to Ian Fuentes Ibanez, a nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. They are blessed with two boys, Jaiden Logan (5 yrs old) and Galen Thomas (6 months old) --- they are expecting their third child this September.

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