This course explains the law of Brazil, not US law. Rules that look the same elsewhere may be different.
Course · Law by country · Brazil
Brazilian Law
The law of Brazil for the people who deal with it: a federal civil-law republic under one of the most detailed constitutions in the world, with autonomous municipalities, a rich set of constitutional remedies, separate labour and electoral courts, the recognition of indigenous and quilombola communities, business, labour law, the consumption-tax reform, criminal justice, the environment and international law.
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Brazil is the largest country in South America and one of the most influential legal systems in Latin America. It is a civil-law jurisdiction with Portuguese roots, codes at the centre of private and criminal law, and a Constitution of 1988 that is among the most detailed in the world: it sets up a federation in which municipalities are autonomous members, lists extensive individual, social and collective rights, and provides a rich set of constitutional remedies such as habeas corpus, the mandado de segurança and the ação popular. Its judiciary has two great superior courts, the Supreme Federal Court for constitutional questions and the Superior Court of Justice for federal law, and separate labour, electoral and military jurisdictions. It recognises indigenous peoples and quilombola communities, and it is in the middle of a major reform of its consumption taxes. This course gives a complete first map for the people who deal with Brazilian law, from the point of view of the foreigner. It starts with the history, the sources and the legal order; then the federal institutions; then federalism, the municipalities and indigenous law; then the courts and the legal professions; then rights, nationality and the constitutional remedies; then contract, land, family law and succession; then business, employment and tax; and finally criminal justice, the specialised fields and international law. It uses invented people and businesses, and three working tools.
The Curriculum
Foundations of Brazilian law: Portuguese colonial law, independence and the Empire, the Republic and its Constitutions, the Constitution of 1988, the sources and hierarchy of law, the civil law tradition and legal pluralism→
Colonial and constitutional history, the Constitution of 1988, sources and hierarchy of law, the civil law tradition and legal pluralism. Practice: Which Source?, What Ranks First? and Spot the Mistake.
The Constitution and the federal institutions: the democratic republic, the President, the National Congress, how a law is made, the public administration and elections→
The republic and the Constitution, the President, the Congress, the legislative process, the administration and elections. Practice: Who Does What?, Apply the Rule and Spot the Mistake.
Federalism, states, municipalities and indigenous law: the Union, the states, the Federal District and the municipalities, competences, indigenous peoples, quilombola and traditional communities and prior consultation→
Federal, state and municipal powers, the Federal District, indigenous peoples and quilombola communities. Practice: Which Level?, What Applies Here? and Spot the Mistake.
Courts and the legal professions: the Supreme Federal Court, the Superior Court of Justice, federal and state courts, the specialised jurisdictions, the National Council of Justice and the legal professions→
The courts, the superior courts, the specialised jurisdictions and the legal professions. Practice: Which Court?, Who May Act? and Spot the Mistake.
Rights, citizenship and constitutional remedies: fundamental and social rights, nationality and foreigners, habeas corpus and the mandado de segurança, administrative law and public integrity→
Fundamental rights, nationality and foreigners, the constitutional remedies, administrative law and anti-corruption. Practice: Which Remedy?, What Would You Do? and Spot the Mistake.
Contract, land, family and succession: the Civil Code, contracts and remedies, civil liability, property and the registry, foreigners and rural land, marriage and stable union, wills and inheritance→
Contracts and remedies, liability, property and the registry, family law and succession. Practice: Which Regime?, What Is the Risk? and Spot the Mistake.
Business, employment and tax: companies, setting up and foreign investment, competition and consumers, labour law and the labour courts, and the tax system and its reform→
Companies, foreign investment, competition, consumers, employment, labour courts and tax. Practice: Which Body?, What Should They Do? and Spot the Mistake.
Criminal justice and specialised fields: the Penal Code and procedure, the jury, the environment and the Amazon, intellectual property, data protection, treaties, arbitration and foreign judgments→
The Penal Code and procedure, the jury, environment and the Amazon, intellectual property, data, treaties and arbitration. Practice: Which Stage?, What Applies Here? and Spot the Mistake.
Capstone: Capstone: Anna Berg and the Florianópolis coworking house→
A coworking house in Florianópolis, a visa, a company form and a local representative, an unregistered apartment, an unregistered employee, and a stable union and a will. Choose the route, the form, the forum and the remedy.
What It Covers
“You will be able to say, for any problem you may have in Brazil, which rule applies (including whether federal, state or municipal law governs it and how the Constitution shapes it), which court or authority decides it, which time limit runs and which professional you need.”
- Written for the foreigner and honest about Brazil’s distinctive order: it explains the civil-law tradition, the constitutionalisation of private law, the autonomous municipalities and the recognition of indigenous and traditional communities, and follows the questions a visitor, resident, employee, family or business actually has.
- Teaches the structure behind the rules, so that a student who knows how the Constitution, the federal, state and municipal competences, the two superior courts and the separate jurisdictions fit together can read any new rule and compare Brazilian law with other civil-law systems.
- Three tools with invented facts: a Residence Status Finder, an Entity Chooser and a Court and Forum Finder, each showing how the answer changes when a fact does, including the registry, rural land and the labour courts.
- Honest about limits: the consumption-tax reform is in a transition to about 2033, the Civil Code reform is still being discussed in the Senate, the debate on indigenous lands is still developing and immigration and exchange rules change often, so the course teaches the structure and flags where to check the current text. It states no changing figures and is general education, not advice.
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Common questions
- Is Brazilian law the same in every state?
- The Constitution and the main codes, civil, criminal, labour and procedural, are federal and apply everywhere, but states and municipalities have their own powers over taxes, land use, permits and local services. The course explains where each level applies.
- What are the constitutional remedies?
- Brazil has special actions to protect rights: habeas corpus for liberty, the mandado de segurança against unlawful acts of authority, habeas data for personal information, the mandado de injunção and the ação popular. The course explains each and its time limit.
- Can a foreigner own land in Brazil?
- Yes, urban property can be bought, but ownership passes only when the title is registered at the Real Estate Registry. Rural land and land in the border strip are restricted for foreigners, and indigenous land cannot be bought. The course explains the checks to make.
- Is it for people who want to practise Brazilian law?
- No. It is a first course for the people who deal with Brazilian law. Only a lawyer registered with the Brazilian Bar Association can advise on Brazilian law and act in the courts, and the course says when you need one.
- Are the tools real data?
- No. The tools apply well-known rules in simplified form to invented facts. They show the structure of the answer and cannot decide a case.
- Does it give the current rule on every point?
- It teaches the provisions that have lasted. The tax reform, the Civil Code reform, the rules on indigenous lands, immigration categories and exchange rules are changing, so check the current text for any real matter.
- How do I get the Certificate of Completion?
- Sign in, pass each module quiz and keep a course average of at least 75. The certificate is then issued and emailed to you automatically.
This course was written on 6 November 2026. To the best of our knowledge, it describes the law of Brazil as it stood on that date. Laws change, and we may have missed or misunderstood something. If you notice a change, or have other information, please do not hesitate to contact us: we will review it and update the course. We do not claim to be the final source of the law.
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