Six years ago, the firm’s partners embarked on a venture that was unprecedented in Brazil’s legal sphere, with the creation of Instituto Mattos Filho (the Mattos Filho Institute). The institute seeks to promote law and enhance access to justice, thus contributing to a freer, more diverse and democratic society. Its core objectives include promoting pro bono legal services, expanding access to justice, spreading awareness of the law, awarding scholarships to academically gifted yet socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, and supporting civil society initiatives geared toward diversity and civic responsibility.
In 2023, Mattos Filho supported a wide range of initiatives, including the following:
This program provides law students with scholarships and mentorship opportunities with partners and lawyers at the firm.
In June, Instituto Mattos Filho hosted a networking event for scholarship recipients and the firm‘s professionals. At the event, Bruna Angotti – vice-coordinator and researcher at the University of São Paulo’s Center for Anthropology of Law (Nadir) – gave a lecture on female incarceration and the relationship between women and the criminal justice system.
In September, scholarship recipients reconvened at Mattos Filho for the Portas Abertas (Open Doors) event, in which they were introduced to the firm and its Jovens Talentos (Young Talents) internship program.
The Access to Justice Challenge is held by Instituto Mattos Filho each year together with the Brazilian consultancy firm ponteAponte. It recognizes initiatives seeking to expand citizens’ access to justice in Brazil, as well as those that strive to promote democracy, civic responsibility, and human rights.
Providing simple, accessible explanations of the relationship between taxation and inequality, this Instituto Mattos Filho project is conducted in partnership with the Brazilian NGOs Politize! and Civicus.
A collaborative effort between Instituto Mattos Filho, Politize! and Civicus, this project educates people on fundamental rights and duties guaranteed in Article 5 of Brazil’s Constitution.
