As a student, Fernan gained distinction as an outstanding youth leader and scholar. He served as President of the Student Council Association of the Philippines and was elected a Member of the International Honor Societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Gamma Mu.
He graduated among the top ten of his class at the College of Law, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City in 1952. In 1953, he obtained his Master of Laws from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States.
While practicing law in Cebu City, he was active in civic and social organizatoins as President of the Cebu Jaycees, the Rotary Club of Cebu West, the Cebu Country Club as well as Chairman and President of the Cebu Newspaper Workers Foundation, Inc.
His active involvement in the academic community included being Associate and later Professional Lecturer at the University of the Philippines-Cebu; Dean of the College of Law of the University of San Jose-Recoletos and currently Dean Emeritus; Chairman of the Board of Trustess fo the University of San Carlos; President of the Fulbright Scholars Association, Philippine Chapter; and Secretary General fo the Academy of American and International Law Alumni Association in Dallas, Texas.
As a law practitioner, he was active in legal circles as President of the Integrated Bar of the PHilippines-Cebu City Chapter; National President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, U.S.A.; President of teh Philippine Association of Law Schools; Chairman of the Law Associations for Asia and Pacific (LAWASIA) Human Rights Standing Committee; Chairman of the LAWASIA Judicial Section; President of the Philippine Society of International Law; Chairman of the Philippine National Committee of the ASEAN Law Association and member of its Governing Council; President of the ASEAN Law Association; President of the Fellows of Asia Foundation; and Trustee of the Southwestern Legal Foundation in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
His various contibutions to the civic, legal and educational fields have earned for him numerous awards which include Most Outstanding U.P. Alumnus Law Practitioner in Cebu City; Most Outstanding U.P. Alumnus in Civic Affairs in Cebu City; Most Outstanding JCI Senator of the Philippines in teh Field of Education; The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award; and the U.P. Professional Achievement Award in the field of Law; the U.P. Cebu Achievement Award as Legal Teacher and Practitioner; and the Most Distiguished Alumnus Award from the College of Law, University of the Philippines. He was also the first recipient of two distinguished awards: the Southwestern Legal Foundation's Robert G. Storey International Award for Leadership and the "Public Servant Award" of the President Osmeņa Memorial Foundation.
He has rendered legal assistance and advise as well as embarked on a free legal aid program with teh Archdiocese of Cebu. He has also served as legal counsel and adviser to a number of religious orders in Cebu City such as teh Agustinian Recollects, the Redemptorists, the Society of Divine Word, the Religious of Virgin Mary, and the Carmelite Order. In February 1999, he was bestowed the title of Brother General by the Order of Agustinian Recollects in the Philippines. On April 4, 1999, he was conferred the Knighthood in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
In recognition of his academic achievements, he has received honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of San Carlos-Cebu City; University of San Jose-Recoletos-Cebu City; Centro Escolar University-Manila; Angeles University-Angeles City; and the De La Salle University-Manila.
His first stint in government service was a Member of teh Cebu City Planning Board. He was subsequently appointed as a Member of the Cebu Provincial Board and later elected as a Delegate to the 1972 Constitutional Convention as well as Assemblyman to the 1984 Batasang Pambansa where he served as Assistant Minority Floor Leader.
In 1986, he was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. While in Supreme Court, he also served as Chairman of the Supreme Court Committee on the Revision of the Rules of Court and Chairman of the House Electoral Tribunal.
In 1988, he was appointed the nineteenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He also became Chairman of the Judicial and Bar Council as well as the Judiciary Planning and Implementation Office. During his term as Chief Justice, several bold judicial reforms were instituted which include the implementation of the Judicial Orientation and Career Enrichment Program and the Continuous Trial Programs as well as the updating of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
In 1995, he was elected Senator of the Tenth Congress. He became the Senate Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Chairman of the Senate Committees on Justice and Human Rights; Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development; and Ethics and Privileges.
During the opening of the Eleventh Congress in July 1998, he was unanimously elected as President of the Senate.
