Filipino engineer-turned-Bar topnotcher’s advice: 'If you need help, ask'

Manila: From designing electrical circuits to decoding the law, Jhenroniel Rhey Timola Sanchez proved that grit and courage were his best companions en route to crushing the 2025 Bar exams.

Sanchez traded circuit diagrams for legal briefs, rewiring his life from designing electrical systems to decoding Philippine law — and then crushed the Bar exams with pure grit and courage.

Picture this: working by day, wrestling case law by night — no shortcuts, just relentless hustle.

Sanchez is a working student of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law, who topped the 2025 Bar Examinations with a score of 92.70%, the Supreme Court announced on Wednesday, January 7, 2028.

Before entering law school, Sanchez earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from UP Los Baños in 2017 and became a Registered Electrical Engineer (REE) later that year.

Despite already holding a professional licence, he chose to pursue a long-held dream of becoming a lawyer.

He admits that he himself was "shocked" when his name came on top.

His superpower secret? Those two qualities, grit and courage, carried him from wiring panels to winning justice.

When asked what his big “why” is in becoming a lawyer, Sanchez told ABS-CBN: “Honestly, I just wanted to be a lawyer.”

He began his legal studies at UP Law in 2019, but his journey was far from smooth.

When the pandemic happened, he struggled with some subjects.

Grit

Sanchez said law school is about grit: "You're going to face ugly fights, you're going to be actually cursing your decision to enter law school, wondering if you made the right decision. If you're going to pursue it (study of law), intelligence stands for a lot, but it's not always about intelligence.

It's about grit, it's about tenacity, it's about being able to take hits and still keep standing. You're going to be tired, but you just have to bear it," he told local media.

Sanchez described himself as far from exceptional student of law.

“I was not notable. I consider myself really just an average student. I kept myself in the middle of the pack. In my own opinion, I just did what I needed to do to pass.”

He also admitted his studies were delayed by a year.

Sanchez said he initially flunked Civil Procedure Law, a subject he had to retake. “I guess I just wasn’t good enough. I struggled with the subject. Essentially, I failed that subject. On my academic records, it’s noted as ‘forced drop’,” he shared candidly.

Working student

Throughout law school, Sanchez was a working student, choosing not to rely fully on external or parental support.

He maintained his engineering licence and worked as a paralegal at a law firm in Manila while studying.

His daily routine was demanding: leaving Makati by 3 pm, taking the MRT to Diliman for 6 pm classes, attending lectures until 9 pm, and reviewing cases during train rides.

“I was a typical working student. Work in the morning, classes in the evening, and catch just five hours of sleep,” Sanchez recalled.

While completing his Juris Doctor degree, he also served as a research assistant at the UP Law Center’s Information and Publication Division, gaining practical experience in legal research and publication.

11,420 examinees

Sanchez ultimately outperformed 11,420 examinees, placing first among the 5,594 successful candidates who passed the rigorous four-day Bar Exam held last year on September 7, 10, and 14 across 14 testing centres nationwide.

The exams recorded a 48.98 % passing rate and were administered under the supervision of Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, chair of the Committee on Bar Examinations.

Oath-taking

The new lawyers, including Sanchez, are scheduled to take their oath and sign the Roll of Attorneys on February 6, 2026, at the Philippine Arena.

Sanchez’s journey — from registered electrical engineer to Philippine Bar topnotcher — stands as a powerful reminder that it is never too late to pursue a new dream and excel at it.

As a working student, Sanchez paid for his dormitory and tuition fees, with some help from his parents.

His parting message: for those who failed the Philippine Bar exams. “I’m not the best person for motivation. I’m not a very motivational person. A lot of the time, personal hard work is never enough," he said.

Her golden advice? "In life, if you need help, ask."

That means, no lone-wolf vibes — just smart humility and grind. In the case of Sanchez, it meant hitting Bar topnotch glory.