Tahirih Justice Center Promotes a Culture of Pro Bono Law in Brazil

In October 2001, the Center’s Executive Director, Layli Miller, gave the keynote address in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at a conference designed to promote pro bono legal representation among private lawyers in Brazil. Pro bono legal representation in Brazil is extremely rare and officially opposed by the Bar Association in some states. During a visit to Brazil at the end of the summer of 2000, Ms. Miller met with women’s rights organizations who expressed the need to access affordable legal representation on behalf of their clients. After meeting with lawyers from several of Brazil’s largest law firms and in coordination with the Brazilian Bahá’í community, a conference was organized to raise the visibility of the need for pro bono legal representation among Brazilian lawyers. The conference’s main benefactor was the law firm of Rubes Naves, Santos Jr., and Hesketh. It was also supported by the Ministry of Justice, UNESCO, and many other law firms and non-profit organizations. The conference was well-publicized and involved newspaper and television coverage.