Brazilian workers transition from manual labor to law graduates

Two individuals in Brazil have achieved significant career milestones by transitioning from manual labor to law graduates.

In Manaus, 49-year-old construction foreman Edilson Takahara began studying law after gaining national attention for representing himself in a labor court case. Following his oral argument before the 11th Region Labor Court, he was awarded a full scholarship by the higher education institution Famec. Takahara plans to balance his studies with his work on construction sites.

In Goiás, Francisco Arnaldo Patrício, who began working at the Court of Justice of Goiás (TJGO) as a cleaner in 2006, has graduated with a law degree at age 50. After years of working to fund his studies, Patrício now serves as a judicial assistant at the same institution where he once worked as a janitor. He intends to pursue his Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) certification and compete for higher positions within the judiciary.