IN THE KNOW: Maria Lourdes Sereno

Supreme Court Justice Lourdes Sereno. FILE PHOTO

Maria Lourdes Sereno was the first appointee of President Benigno Aquino III to the Supreme Court. She was appointed on Aug. 13, 2010, as associate justice. At 50, she was the youngest to be appointed to serve on the Supreme Court in this century.

Prior to her appointment, Sereno worked as executive director of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) from 2009 to 2010. She was also president from 2000 to 2010 of Accesslaw Inc., a corporation that provided the first annotated electronic research system in Philippine law, which she cofounded with professors from the University of the Philippines College of Law.

Sereno was a professor at the UP College of Law from 1986 to 2006, teaching civil and commercial law. Sereno also taught law and economics, international trade law and electronic commerce law at the Philippine Judicial Academy, Hague Academy of International Law, University of Western Australia, Murdoch University, Department of Foreign Affairs-Foreign Service Institute and AIM.

She served as deputy commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and served as legal counsel for various government agencies, including the Office of the President, Office of the Solicitor General, Department of Agriculture and Department of Trade and Industry.

An economics major from Ateneo de Manila University, Sereno graduated valedictorian cum laude from the UP College of Law in 1984. She placed 14th in the bar exam in the same year.

In 1992, Sereno was awarded a De Witte Fellowship and a Ford-Rockefeller scholarship, which helped her earn her master of laws degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

At 38, Sereno was appointed legal counselor at the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body Secretariat in Geneva. In 1998, she was recognized one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service in the field of law.

Born on July 2, 1960, her mandatory retirement is in 2030. She is married to Mario Jose E. Sereno, with whom she has two children. Inquirer Research

Sources: JBC, Supreme Court website