Atty. Virginia M. Diaz
Conferred AY 1988-1989
Professional Profile:
A lawyer is traditionally viewed as one who litigates in court and engages his opponent in spirited debate about a difficult question of law. The success of a lawyer is often measured by the number of cases won, regardless of the circumstances by which the cases are handled.
In this day and age, good lawyers refuse to be stereotyped. They take on the kind of work that appeals to them. Practice of law under modern conditions includes, in no small part, work performed outside any court and having no immediate relation to proceedings in court (Cayetano v. Monsod, G.R. No. 100113, 3 September 1991). The case of interdisciplinary approaches has now become popular, e.g. law and the environment, law and economics, etc.
The career path of Atty. Diaz shows her keen interest in law as it applies to teaching and/or school administration. It is auspicious that she first completed a degree in education before proceeding to law school. This undoubtedly gave her the proper perspective. She then accepted a fellowship for her Master of Laws at the Michigan State University, which incidentally is the alma mater of such great lawyer-educators as retired Supreme Court Justice Irene Cortez (now deceased), former Dean of the U.P. College of Law; Senator Edgardo Angara, former President of the University of the Philippines; and Supreme Court Justice Florenz Regalado, former Dean of San Beda College of Law, to name a few. Most of her years were afterwards devoted to the academe in various capacities – as classroom teacher, reviewer, or school administrator.
It is encouraging that Atty. Diaz has chosen to combine her legal skills with the various aspects of education. Very little attention has been devoted to this field, even as education impacts greatly a large sector of society. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports receives the highest possible budgetary appropriation and including the private schools, reaches almost all children of school age, their teachers and those involved in school administration.
As administrator, Atty. Diaz has published jointly with Bro. Andrew Gonzales, FSC, an authoritative book, Laws on Education and the Private School Administrator, which no doubt is an important reading material for private school administrators. Bro. Andrew Gonzales discusses the managerial aspects, while Atty. Diaz takes up touchy issues as unionism among faculty and staff, and student activism corollary to the rights of students to free expression and to form organizations not contrary to law. The rights of students guaranteed under the Constitution are viewed in the context of school policies, and the parameters in the exercise thereof are clearly drawn. In being aware of these, school administrators are able to properly deal with students knowing the legal implications of actions taken by them, thus avoiding unnecessary damage suits.
To Atty. Diaz, awareness by all those involved in the academic community of their rights and responsibilities promotes harmonious relationship to the end that the school is able to focus its resources on its mission and vision. She does not hesitate to instruct the members of the teaching staff regarding their rights and to make them understand the predicament of the school administrator when conflicts arise. Her high regard for teachers is evident in this thoughtful remark:
“I hope I did not give you the wrong signal. The knowledge of these practical difficulties should not encourage a teacher into breaking his contract. It must be borne in mind that the teaching profession is regarded as the noblest of all professions. Indeed, a teacher is and must be a model of integrity, of propriety, uprightness and everything the human race regards as ideal and desirable in the human person.”
As classroom teacher and reviewer for the Certified Public Accountancy examination, Atty. Diaz has prepared textbooks for east comprehension by students taking up business law subjects. A student enrolled in a law subject, by experience, even if interested in it, noticeably shows discomfort because the approach usually taken is unfamiliar to him. In her textbooks, Atty. Diaz discusses the law by topic, occasionally using illustrations for better comprehension. The Business Law Reviewer utilizes the question-and-answer format, and basically deals with the fundamental aspects of the law.
Atty. Diaz allows herself to take a breather and digress by delving on relevant topics that provoke intellectual discussion. Her lecture on the perceived inequalities between the husband and the wife insofar as marital rights are concerned gives us an insight on trends and development in family relations. Towards the end of her lecture, she made this reflection:
“It will take more than one Family Code to remove the inequalities imposed by positive law on married women, but at least it can be proudly said that enactment of the Family Code is the beginning of a conscious and collective effort ‘to involve women in the strengthening of world peace on the basis of equal rights, opportunities and responsibilities of women and men.”
On the personal side, Atty. Diaz is forthright and candid in dealing with her peers and students. She minces no words in making criticism if warranted, not to discourage but to make room for improvement. Conversely, she will openly commend or give praise if such is richly deserved. This attitude has earned for her respect as a person who knows whereof she speaks.