Mattos Filho Institute

MATTOS FILHO INSTITUTE

An initiative by the partners of the firm with the mission of promoting law and opening access to justice for a free, diverse and democratic society

T he Mattos Filho Institute was born in 2018, based on an initiative by the firm’s partners and that had never before been seen in Brazil’s legal world. Its main objective is to promote the law and access to justice while significantly expanding the partners’ contribution to society. “The Mattos Filho Institute brings perspectives to foster the practice of law and access to justice, with clear ideas of creating and helping a more free, just and equal society”, is the assessment by the partner from the Corporate practice and one of the institute’s directors, Paula Vieira.

 

Mattos Filho Institute – main fronts


Encourage the provision of pro bono services

Award study grants to diversify the profile of the average law student

Develop new methodologies to spread legal knowledge

Support initiatives by civil society organizations concerned with diversity and citizenship

 

In its first year of operations, the Mattos Filho Institute already managed to get three large projects underway: the first includes the annual awarding of study grants (approximately 20 per year), funded by with the funds of Institute’s members, for the training of law students in situations of social vulnerability.

The second project launched is the “Access to Justice Challenge”, a prize aimed at supporting initiatives by civil society organizations, collectives and private individuals in the defense of human rights and the promotion of access to justice, for the strengthening of citizenship and human rights in Brazil. Lastly, the Institute will also run an awareness campaign to make the clauses of Article 5 of the Federal Constitution – which lays out the rights of the individual – more familiar to the country’s population.

 

Article 5°


All are equal before the law, without distinction of any kind, and Brazilians and foreigners residing in the country are ensured the inviolability of the right to life, liberty, equality, security and property.


Read more here.

 

“In the law, a lawyer’s social function is determined by the statutes of the Bar Association, unlike in other professions, where all there is, is the intent to profit”, Roberto Quiroga explains.