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These 4 siblings all followed in the footsteps of their lawyer dad

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Barbie Salvador-Muhlach

<div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/23/sibs1.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/23/sibs2.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/23/sibs3.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/23/sibs4.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/23/sibs5.jpg"/></div></div><div class="slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Photo provided by author</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Photo provided by author</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Photo provided by author</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Photo provided by author</cite></div></div><div class="item-desc"><div><cite>Photo provided by author</cite></div></div></div></div><p>MANILA -- When Johanna Chan passed the Philippine bar exams on April 29, 2020, she was not just fulfilling a personal dream. She was crossing an important milestone in continuing a family legacy. </p><p>As the youngest, the 25-year-old Joymie is the last of her siblings to finish her law degree. She follows two sisters and a brother who are already attorneys-at-law. With her latest achievement, she completes the second generation of lawyers, following in the footsteps of their late father, Atty. Joselito Chan. </p><p>The Chan patriarch is considered one of the country&#x27;s legal luminaries in labor law. He was a CPA-lawyer who, in 1988, founded what would now be known as the Chan Robles Law Firm, with an offshoot Chan Robles Bar Review Center. </p><p>Clariesse &quot;Jami&quot; Chan is the eldest and was the first among the siblings to foray into the field. While there was pressure, she said she wanted to be an inspiration for her family. </p><p>“I wanted my dad to be proud of me and be able to brag about me, while my siblings to have someone to look up to,” she said. Jami now holds a Masters of Laws in International Economic Law and Policy from the Barcelona University in Spain and currently works for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.</p><p>For the only son, Jan, his law journey began in childhood. According to him, there was really no defining moment that made him want to become a lawyer. Rather, he found himself “constantly falling deeper in love with the legal profession” because of his dad’s law practice. </p><p>Early exposure also led to third child, Ysa, to pursue the same track. Although she took a gap year to find out what she truly wanted, she eventually found her way back to law. “We would occasionally visit my dad’s office ever since we were young. We treated his fellow lawyers and clerks like family. The firm had a very familial culture and I found another support system in it,” she said.</p><p>As for Joymie, it was her father’s personal values that inspired her the most. “He taught me to be critical of the things around me. His was a rags-to-riches kind of story and seeing him achieve a lot of his goals in life through his profession, kick-started a passion in me,” she said.<br/> <br/><strong>JUST GOT LUCKY</strong></p><p>With the businesses he built and accomplishments in law, one would expect Joselito Chan would force -- or at the very least, strongly encourage -- his kids to take up the profession. But as all four would attest, he never actually did. Instead, he simply did his best as a parent and lawyer. </p><p>“He initially just wanted someone who could take over writing his books on labor and help run the firm once he was gone; someone to continue his legacy,” Joymie said. “When one by one we decided to study law, and one by one we graduated from law school, he couldn’t really believe his luck.”</p><p>Although bound by the same passion, the Chan siblings unanimously say there is no rivalry among them. They admittedly argue over which law school was better, with two from the University of the Philippines and the other two went to the Ateneo de Manila University. But those were just playful debates that never really got out of hand. </p><p>Besides, they all trained for the bar (and passed it) through their father’s review center. It’s also important to note that at the end of the day, they have different fields of interest. The eldest two are in international trade law, and corporate and energy laws, respectively. The two youngest, meanwhile, are involved in intellectual property law, and labor laws. </p><div><strong>IT TAKES A VILLAGE </strong></div><p>Of course, not all credit goes to their lawyer dad. All four kids also thank their mother, Bambi, and maternal grandmother whom they lovingly call &quot;Nanay,&quot; for providing constant support to help them fulfill their dreams. </p><p>Interestingly, these two family figures also have background in law. Bambi actually finished law school where she met Joselito. However, she decided to focus on raising their kids and supporting her husband. Bambi’s mother, meanwhile, worked in the courts as a clerk stenographer. </p><p>It’s a beautiful story to look at, really. It’s a story of how shared interests, and working and dreaming together can inspire an entire generation. Safe to say, the practice of law is not only a family business but a family dream as well. </p><div><strong>CONTINUING LEGACY</strong></div><p>As the youngest and the last to hurdle the bar, Joymie admitted she felt extremely pressured and anxious to pass the licensure exam. She shared that she would always cry at the thought of possibly breaking the streak. </p><p>“Friends and relatives would always say, ‘O, lahat pala kayo magiging abogado, ikaw na lang hinihintay. (All of you will be lawyers. They are just waiting for you).’ I have never been more scared of anything in my life,” she admits.</p><p>When the results finally came out, Joymie found out before her family did. “When I told them I passed, we all cried. We cried because we were happy. But we also cried because we all wished dad was there too,” she said.</p><p>Joymie passed the bar a few months after her dad died in December 2019. She is set to take her oath on June 25, 2020, via online video conference. </p><p>“It’s a shame that he wasn’t able to see all of us become lawyers but maybe he already knew I was going to become one,” she said.</p>

<p>When Johanna Chan passed the Philippine bar exams on April 29, 2020, she was not just fulfilling a personal dream. She was crossing an important milestone in continuing a family legacy. </p>

When Johanna Chan passed the Philippine bar exams on April 29, 2020, she was not just fulfilling a personal dream. She was crossing an important milestone in continuing a family legacy.