Brazil's Bar Association blocks AI legal platform, launches evaluation app

A federal judge in Minas Gerais (Judge Paulo Alkmin Costa Júnior of the 14th Federal Civil Court in Belo Horizonte) issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily suspends Dubbio, a legal‑tech service that uses artificial intelligence to answer legal questions. The injunction was granted after the Minas Gerais section of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (OAB‑MG) sued, alleging that the platform engages in irregular client solicitation, commercializes the practice of law, and may devalue attorneys' fees. The judge said there is sufficient legal plausibility to halt the service while the case proceeds, though the decision does not constitute a final ruling on the platform’s legality.

Separately, the São Paulo section of the OAB announced the upcoming launch of the "Advocacia Avalia" app, slated for the second half of the month. The app will function as a social‑network‑style platform where lawyers can evaluate the quality of services provided by courts, registries, and other judicial bodies through written, audio, or video feedback, following criteria set by the National Council of Justice and the Organic Law of the National Judiciary. OAB‑SP president Leonardo Sica emphasized that the tool aims to increase transparency and highlight good practices rather than judge individual judges, and it is part of the organization’s activities for Advocacy Month.