Career planning is a crucial component of higher education, enabling graduating students to transition successfully from academic learning to professional practice. In the Philippines, law schools often focus heavily on bar exam preparation, offering limited formal guidance on broader career development. This gap may hinder students’ preparedness for diverse professional pathways and limit their contributions to national educational and workforce development. This study utilizes a qualitative descriptive design with focus group discussions (FGDs) to explore career planning strategies among final-year law students from selected Philippine law schools. Three FGDs, each comprising 5–7 participants, are currently being conducted using a semi-structured discussion guide. Discussions are audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically, with coding, categorization, and iterative refinement to identify recurring strategies, challenges, and enablers. Research rigor is ensured through peer debriefing and triangulation of emerging themes. Preliminary findings are expected to reveal the strategies students employ across bar and non-bar career pathways, perceived effectiveness, and barriers, including the lack of structured career guidance. The study will provide recommendations for enhancing law school career services, mentorship, and institutional resources, fostering educational development and equipping graduates with adaptable, future-ready skills aligned with workforce needs both locally and globally.

Authors:
Maureen Antonette Ledesma, De La Salle University, Philippines
Kenrich Anthony Bereber, West Visayas State University, Philippines

About the Presenter(s)
Mr. Bereber or Ken is serving as the Labor and Employment Officer II of Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Region 6 (RTWPB 6) and at the same time studying law at the West Visayas State University College of Law.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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