Law Schools and Slavery in Brazil: a research agenda

Abstract

the article examines the relationships between the Law Schools of São Paulo and Recife and slavery in Brazil, proposing a research agenda structured around three main axes: the direct, intellectual, and economic connections of these institutions with the slave system. The central objective is to understand how these institutions contributed to the maintenance, legitimization, or contestation of African slavery in imperial Brazil, aiming to bring visibility to the enslaved population and to advance the realization of human rights. Methodologically, the study adopts a historical-legal approach, based on primary sources (such as legislation, correspondence, ministerial reports, newspapers, syllabi, lecture notes, dissertations, etc.) and secondary literature, within the framework of social history and the intellectual history of law. The findings indicate the everyday presence of enslaved individuals in the Law Schools, the ownership of enslaved people by deans, professors, and students, and the use of legal and moral arguments that alternately justified or challenged the slave regime. From an economic perspective, the resources that financed legal education were closely tied to the slave-based economy. Drawing on international experiences, such as the Universities Studying Slavery consortium, the article proposes measures aimed at institutional recognition, including public apologies, memorial actions, affirmative action policies, and support for research on race and slavery. By articulating history, memory, and reconciliation, the study contributes to a critical reflection on the past of legal institutions and its enduring impacts in the present.