SENATOR Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is pushing for a measure that would strengthen the Legal Education Board (LEB).

Pangilinan’s Senate Bill 1944, also known as the Comprehensive Legal Education Reform Act, aims to amend Republic Act 7662, the Legal Education Reform Act of 1993.

Since its enactment, the LEB has set standards, overseen law schools, and improved legal education. However, Pangilinan noted that persistent structural and institutional limitations have constrained its mandate and operations.

The proposed legislation addresses these issues by transforming the LEB into the Commission on Legal Education (CLED). The new Commission is designed to have enhanced administrative and budgetary capacity, clearer jurisdictional authority, and improved operational continuity.

CLED would regulate legal education institutions while actively supporting their development through scholarships, grants, and incentives. The bill also raises the qualifications for the Commission’s leadership, ensuring that the Chairperson and members are drawn from distinguished academicians and practitioners with the competence, integrity, and foresight needed to lead meaningful reforms in legal education.