After serious and thorough evaluation, the independent Legal Education Board (LEB) has ordered the closure of the College of Law of the University of Manila (UM) due to its its “dismal performance” in bar examinations.

According to the LEB, the closure will take effect for Academic Year 2024-2025, it announced in a notice to the public on Monday.

“This decision was made after a thorough evaluation of the legal education institution’s compliance with legal education standards and regulatory requirements,” the LEB clarified.

It added that UM had already been informed about the closure order on June 5 last year, however, the board said it has received information that the university’s College of Law continues to accept enrollees despite the closure.

This has prompted the release of the public notice with the board saying it “does not recognize enrollment in the said school.”

LEB explained that the university’s law school was ordered to stop operations for failing to meet the minimum standards set by the Board, in particular, its “dismal performance” in the bar exams while it also did not meet the prescribed curriculum and academic standards for legal education.

The LEB also flagged several deficiencies in the school’s institutional facilities and resources, which are necessary for quality legal instruction.

Based on the Supreme Court’s list of law schools’ performance, the UM College of Law did not have graduates who took the 2024 bar exams.