Katrina Legarda

To be a great lawyer in the Philippines is to accept the responsibility of uplifting and defending those who have been marginalised by a fundamentally unjust society. Katrina Legarda is, by this definition, a great lawyer—one of the most prominent lawyers in the country, in fact, who specialises in family law and is well-known for advocating for the rights of women and children throughout her career.

After graduating from the University of Bristol and obtaining her law degree from the University of the Philippines’ College of Law, Legarda joined Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law (ACCRALAW) in 1981 and left in 1992 as a partner. She then rose to greater prominence in 1997, when, as prosecutor, she won the long and arduous legal battle against then-Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, who was convicted for statutory rape. This is just one of many high-profile cases she’s handled in her career as a litigator.

Legarda is also the founding chair of the Child Justice League, president of the UP Women Lawyers’ Circle, and director of the National Network of Women and Child Protection Units. She is also a professor in several universities, teaching medical jurisprudence, persons and family relations, and legal writing. She also trains judges, prosecutors, social workers, and police on the investigation of crimes involving women and children.