Marvic M.V.F. Leonen is currently the Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He is the Former Dean and Professor of Law at the University of the Philippines College of Law since 1989. He graduated with an AB Economics degree, magna cum laude, from the School of Economics in 1983. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the College of Law in 1987 ranking fourth. Later that year, he cofounded the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, Inc, a legal and policy research and advocacy insitution which focused on providing legal services for upland rural poor and indigenous people’s communities. He served as the Center’s executive director for fifteen years. He also earned a Master of Laws degree from the Columbia Law School of the Columbia University in New York.
He first joined the faculty in 1989 as a professional lecturer in Philippine Indigenous Law. He became assistant professor during Dean Pacifico Agabin’s term and academic administrator under Dean Merlin M. Magalona’s term. In 2000, he was invited to act as the UP System’s University General Counsel. In 2005, he became the first Vice President for Legal Affairs of the UP System, and 2008, he became the Dean of the College of Law at the University of the Philippines.
In July 2010, He was named by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III as the Philippine government’s chief negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. He successfully led the parties into a framework agreement on the Bangsamoro which was signed on October 15, 2012. He was appointed to the Court on November 21, 2012.
EDUCATION:
– Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa (Conferred by University of Cebu on June 27, 2022)
– LL.B., University of the Philippines (1987)
– LL.M., Columbia University, New York (2004)
– A.B. Economics, magna cum laude, University of the Philippines (1983)
WORK EXPERIENCE:
– Chair, Government Negotiating Panel in Talks with the MILF, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (2010-2012)
– Dean, UP College of Law (2008-2012)
– Vice-President for Legal Affairs, UP Diliman (2004-2008)
– General Counsel, UP Diliman (2000-2003)
– Director, Office of Legal Aid, UP Diliman (1998-2000)
– Former Vice Chair Friends of the Earth International
– Founding Member and former Executive Director, Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRK-KSK) | 1987 – 2002
– Founding Member and former Executive Director, Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA)
– Former Member, Alternative Law Group Network (ALG)
– Former Member, Free Legal Assistance Group
– Sat in the Boards of various support organizations for women, environment, farmers, et al