A Modest Overachiever.
IN SEVERAL national newspapers in the Philippines recently, a story was published about UP Diliman College of Law’s Diane Desierto, a graduate of Economics (summa cum laude) and Law (cum laude) and a UP Debate Society alumna, received official appointment to the 2010-2011 traineeship/clerkship at the International Court of Justice, at Hague, Netherlands.
Desierto, who is currently finishing her Doctorate in Laws at Yale University, reported in a letter to Law Dean Marvic Leonen: "I am grateful to report that I have been unanimously selected and appointed by the (ICJ) to one of the most prestigious eight clerkship positions at the Court, awarded only to JD/LLM/JSD students with demonstrated academic excellence, an established record of international publications and scholarly writing, and (preferably) legal practice experience."
The report said that this has been the first appointment given to a Filipino or a Southeast Asian. The only other Asian who was appointed into the program was a Japanese, also from Yale Law School, in 2005. Desierto said that candidacies for the clerkships had only been solicited from law schools in North America, Europe and the Australian Law School of the Australian National University. In recognition of the appointment, Yale Law School is awarding Desierto a full fellowship to cover living and travel expenses during her clerkship year.
In an exclusive interview with Asian Journal, Diane Desierto revealed that she was most surprised when the story hit the newspapers. "I was caught entirely by surprise when my private official form report to the University of the Philippines suddenly made its way to the national news. While I am immensely grateful that this news has gladdened our countrymen, I am a lawyer, law professor, and legal scholar who does not see myself as a public figure other than for my body of legal publications. I lead a very quiet and private life and am obviously unused to this publicity," Diane said.
Born on June 9, 1979, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Diane is the youngest child of two Cebuano lawyers and long-time public servants, Aniano A. Desierto (former Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines) and Teresita A. Desierto (currently serving as Commissioner in the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board). She has two other equally talented siblings: the older brother is Atty. Dante A. Desierto [LLB (UP Law), BS Political Science cum laude (UP), and name partner in Desierto Ammuyutan Purisima & Desierto Law Offices in Ortigas, Pasig City); and her sister is Dr. Desiree A. Desierto [Professor, UP School of Economics; Robert Solow Fellow, Cournot Centre, Paris; PhD (University of Nottingham), MSc Development Economics (Queen’s College, University of Oxford), MA Economics (Macquarie University, Australia), BS Business Economics cum laude (UP School of Economics)].
Coming from a family of intellectuals, did she ever feel pressured to excel in school? "The learning process itself has always been the motivation --- I enjoyed economics and calculus as much as I did history, philosophy, world literature, and later, law. My parents were role models for their work ethic, and they also nurtured my intellectual bent and passion for inquiry. As lawyers and career civil servants in the Philippines, my parents encouraged me to learn, to understand, to ask questions, to propose solutions, to have a vigorous socio-political consciousness, and to choose and take principled actions.
Despite their work, they always prioritized me and my siblings. My mother first taught me to read and write, while my father encouraged me to explore what I did not know through books, puzzles, games, active inquiry, frequent discussions, debates, public speaking, critical writing. My parents never had to force me or my siblings to study because learning became as natural as breathing," Diane explained.
When word came out about Desierto’s achievements, several blogs appeared in the Internet, all praises for Diane. One blog said, "she’s a legend in my high school, and aside from the super-debater status (a finalist in Asians on her freshman year), she’s also a brainchild of Econ, summa cum laude siya. I heard she only had one 1.25 in her entire UP life".
Asked to comment on the blog, Diane said in surprise. "I have no idea that there is a blog out there discussing my grades. I have never seen myself as a legend nor ever heard myself described as such. Now that you tell me this I feel very embarrassed," said Diane humbly. "I don’t recall if all my grades in UP were 1.25, all I do remember is that I enjoyed both courses that I took in UP immensely. I graduated summa cum laude and class valedictorian at the UP School of Economics, which means I must have had a grade point average that was 1.2 or higher. I graduated cum laude and class salutatorian at the UP College of Law."
Diane wears several professional hats in the Philippines. "I am a litigation partner at my law firm (Desierto Ammuyutan Purisima Desierto Law), where I work part-time on commercial and public law litigation; Law Reform Specialist, at the UP Institute of International Legal Studies, where I write, publish, and promote policy and scholarly discussion on various fields of international law; and Professorial Lecturer at the law faculties of UP Law (teaching Legal History, Agency & Partnership) and Lyceum Law (teaching Public International Law and Administrative Law)," revealed Diane.
Desierto came to the US in 2008 to undertake post-graduate studies primarily focusing on international law, after she finished a Research Fellowship at the Max Planck Institute of Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, Germany, and a Scholarship at the Xiamen Academy of International Law. She graduated with her LLM (Master of Laws) at Yale Law School in 2009, and was admitted to the JSD (Doctor of Laws) program at Yale Law School the same year as the first woman from the Philippines to join Yale Law School’s JSD program.
Regarding her clerkship at the International Court of Justice, Diane said, "I was recommended by Yale Law School, particularly my JSD supervisor, Professor W. Michael Reisman, for this clerkship. In this capacity, I will be working closely with Judges in the Court in relation to its work in the adjudication of disputes between States.
This is the best possible training for international lawyers at this career stage. I am particularly grateful that I will be able to learn in this capacity, and to bring this experience to bear on my teaching, practice, research, and scholarship as an international lawyer."
Once again, a Filipino has excelled in the global scene, proving that "iba na ang Pinoy!" Congratulations, Diane Desierto! You’re truly Galing Pinoy! (AJPress)
( www.asianjournal.com )
( Published June 5, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A10 )
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