Ma. Lourdes Sereno
Encyclopedia
Maria Lourdes Aranal Sereno (born July 2, 1960) is a Filipino jurist, lawyer and law professor. In August 2010, she was appointed Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
, the first appointee to the High Court of Philippine President
Benigno Aquino III
. Sereno is the youngest appointee to the Supreme Court since Cesar Bengzon
in 1945, and the 13th woman appointed as a Supreme Court Justice.
College of Law
, graduating as class valedictorian
. She also earned a Master of Laws
from the University of Michigan Law School
. At the time of her appointment, Sereno was Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management
Policy Center.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
An Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines is one of 15 members of the Philippine Supreme Court, the highest court in the Philippines. The Chief Justice presides over the High Court, but carries only 1 of the 15 votes in the court...
of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
, the first appointee to the High Court of Philippine President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III , also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th and current President of the Philippines since June 2010....
. Sereno is the youngest appointee to the Supreme Court since Cesar Bengzon
Cesar Bengzon
César Bengzon was the Chief Justice of the Philippines from April 28, 1961 until May 29, 1966. In November 1966, a few months after his retirement, he became the first Filipino to be appointed to the International Court of Justice.-Judicial career:Bengzon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from...
in 1945, and the 13th woman appointed as a Supreme Court Justice.
Background
Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno was born in Manila. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, and her law degree from the University of the PhilippinesUniversity of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law or UP Law is the law school of the University of the Philippines. Since 1948, it has been located at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, the flagship campus of UP's seven constituent universities. Until the 1970s, night classes of...
, graduating as class valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
. She also earned a Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
from the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
. At the time of her appointment, Sereno was Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management
Asian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...
Policy Center.