Experiences in Popular Academic Legal Advisory in the state of Pará

Abstract

This article is derived from the research carried out as a procedure for the completion of course work, which was presented to the Federal University of Pará and was based on the survey on the experiences in popular academic legal advisory (AJUP, in Portuguese) in the state of Pará. The qualitative research was guided by a bibliographical review and a field research conducted through semi-structured interviews with 13 people who had experience in AJUP and work professionally in defense of human rights in Pará. This work will initially address the elements that make up the AJUP, then will proceed to a historical review of nuclei that operated in the state of Pará and, finally, will present some of the challenges identified through this action. The emergence of AJUPs in Brazil dates to the 1950s, but only in 2004 the first articulations were made in Pará, which resulted in the formation of four nuclei in different periods. Despite significant advances in the relationship between the university and society, the nuclei had some limits of action, imposed by the difficulty of renewal of members and the little concrete expectation of continuity of professional performance after graduation. As alternatives to address these obstacles, it was reflected on the need for articulation between the AJUPs at local and national level, the permanent cultivation of the AJUP’s values and principles and the definite direction of their actions with the popular classes.