Recitations not enough: Myra Rivera Caroy says lectures are essential for law students, too

August 29, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

Lawyer and law professor Myra Rivera-Caroy said that while she agrees that law students should not be babied, she also sees the wisdom of holding lectures rather than relying solely on recitations in class.

In a video, Rivera-Caroy said she conducts rigorous recitations for her students, asking numerous follow-up questions to test whether they really understand their answers.

Even if they give the correct answer, she makes them explain the legal basis for their statements.

But she also said that after the recitations, she holds lectures.

“Hindi dapat nagtatapos ang trabaho ng law professor sa pagpapahirap sa recitation,” she said.

She said she wishes that when she was a law student, her professors also answered the “out of this world” questions the professors asked.

“Simple lang naman ang teaching style ko. I test them through recitations, but at the end of it all, I still teach them the law,” she said.

Rivera-Caroy said she is doing this to ensure that her students understand the lessons and know how to apply the law when they eventually join the legal profession.

Her goal is not to produce law students who are good at surviving recitations.

“Eventually, the goal is to produce lawyers who know what they are doing when real people eventually depend on them,” she added.