Pro bono legal services to address inequalities in access to justice

Access to justice is still unequal in Brazil

Brazil has the highest proportion of lawyers per inhabitant in the world — about 1 for every 164 Brazilians — and is home to more than 1,800 law schools, a number that exceeds the sum of all legal programs in the rest of the planet and fuels debates within the National Bar Association (OAB) regarding the quality of education.

Still, many people, groups, and organizations are unable to access qualified legal guidance when their rights are at risk. The lack of resources, information, institutional structure, and support channels deepens inequalities and limits the exercise of citizenship.

In Brazil, legal assistance is organized between private advocacy — which includes court-appointed lawyers (advogados dativos) — and the Public Defender's Office, an essential institution that must be permanently strengthened. Where it does not yet reach, pro bono advocacy serves as yet another way to broaden access to justice.

Pro bono legal practice is a concrete way to address this scenario: by offering voluntary and free legal services, the legal community helps reduce barriers to accessing justice and strengthens the protection of rights.

Pro bono legal work does not replace public policies for legal aid. It expands the scope for the legal community to act in support of access to justice.

Access to justice is not merely access to the judicial system. It also encompasses access to information, legal guidance, risk prevention, institutional strengthening, and the genuine ability to assert one's rights.