Maria Lourdes Sereno’s legal career is marked by her significant contributions to the judiciary and academia. She taught at the University of the Philippines’ law school for nearly two decades, influencing future legal practitioners and scholars. Her professional journey advanced as she served as an Associate Justice before being appointed as the Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court in 2012 to 2018. This appointment highlighted her as a key figure in Philippine law, where she was instrumental in leading the court and shaping legal precedents.

With her modernizing outlook and firm belief in the power of technology, she co-founded a corporation that developed the first annotated electronic research system in Philippine Law. Her tenure as Chief Justice is marked by far-reaching reforms, including eCourts, automated hearings, case decongestion, continuous trials, and expanded small claims courts. At the heart of her reform programme is the strong conviction that justice and the law’s protection should be accessible and responsive to the most vulnerable Filipinos.