Brazil

Georgia Law alumnus Alexandre Jorge Fontes Laranjeira (LL.M. ’23) presents at EducationUSA LL.M. Fair in Brasília, Brazil

Today, we welcome a guest post by Georgia Law alumnus Alexandre Jorge Fontes Laranjeira, who graduated with his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in 2023. Laranjeira recently represented the law school at the EducationUSA LL.M. Fair held in Brasília, Brazil. Laranjeira is currently a Federal Court of Appeals Judge for the First Region in Brazil. In this role, he sits on a three-judge panel that primarily handles appeals related to the role of Federal Regulatory Agencies, and appeals concerning Education Law, Health Law, Patent Law, Environmental Law, and Banking Law. Prior to his current appointment, Laranjeira served as a Federal District Court Judge for nearly 31 years. His extensive judicial career includes overseeing Federal District Courts in four different states across Brazil, with a notable tenure of four and a half years in the Amazon Region. His experience in these diverse jurisdictions has endowed him with a profound understanding of environmental and indigenous populations matters. Before ascending to the bench, Laranjeira was a Career Prosecutor for the Federal District in Brazil, where he honed his legal acumen and prosecutorial skills. Despite residing in Brazil, he is a registered mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, a credential he obtained through the Georgia Law Mediation Clinic course. Laranjeira serves as a member of the Dean Rusk International Law Center’s Advisory Council.

On October 9, 2025, I represented the University of Georgia School of Law at the EducationUSA LL.M. Fair held in Brasília, Brazil. The event was part of the EducationUSA Latin America LL.M. Tour Fall 2025, which included visits to Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Colombia. The Brazilian portion of the tour covered four major cities (Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and São Paulo), all of which are among the most significant cultural and academic centers in my home country.

As a member of the Dean Rusk International Law Center Council, I volunteered for this opportunity to engage directly with Brazilian candidates interested in Georgia Law’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program. My goal was not only to connect with prospective students, but also to promote Georgia Law’s international programs within my hometown and among members of the local legal community.

Representing Georgia Law at an international fair was an enriching experience on both personal and professional levels. I interacted with numerous law students eager to pursue international academic opportunities and met many talented and motivated individuals seeking to enhance their legal education abroad. As a Georgia Law LL.M. alumnus, I was able to share firsthand insights about the academic excellence, vibrant community, and welcoming environment that characterize life in Athens, Georgia.

I am deeply grateful to Anelise Hofmann, EducationUSA Country Coordinator, and Jefferson Couto, the local EducationUSA representative in Brasília, for their invaluable support throughout the fair. I also extend my thanks to Mandy Dixon, International Professional Education Manager, and Sarah Quinn, Director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center, for their guidance and for providing all the materials necessary to represent UGA at this important event.

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MASTER OF LAWS (LL.M.) APPLICANTS: The application for Georgia Law’s LL.M. class of 2027 is now open. Detailed information about the degree program and how to apply can be found here. Recruiting events, both virtual and in-person, are listed here.

New International Judicial Training session under way at Georgia Law

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Our University of Georgia School of Law Dean Rusk International Law Center is pleased to welcome a delegation of 45 judges and court personnel from Brazil for a two-week judicial training course here in Athens. Organized in partnership with the University of Georgia Institute of Continuing Judicial Education and the Supreme Court of Justice of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, the training is designed to introduce participants to the U.S. judicial system.

For more than two decades, the Dean Rusk International Law Center has conducted International Judicial Trainings, particularly for the Brazilian judiciary. Over the years, the trainings have provided a comparative perspective on legal initiatives such as drug and other specialty courts, domestic violence programs, and continuing judicial education.

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Justice Fernando Cerqueira Norberto dos Santos, who has been involved in the International Judicial Training partnership with the Center since its inception, leads the current delegation.

The course, which began on Sunday, focuses on judicial administration. It features speakers from Georgia Law as well as area practitioners and court personnel. The training includes a trip to the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center, and participants also will learn about the appellate courts and programs of the State Bar of Georgia in Atlanta.

LLM alums to meet prospective students in Brazil, Argentina

map_LLM fair_editLaw students, lawyers, and legal academics in Brazil and Argentina will soon have the opportunity to speak with graduates of the University of Georgia School of Law Master of Laws degree.

Two of our alums will attend university fairs in Curitiba and Buenos Aires sponsored by Education USA, an arm of the U.S. Department of State. They will be on hand personally to discuss the career benefits and special advantages of earning the Master of Law, or LL.M., degree at Georgia Law. (See prior posts about our current LLM students, as well as our hundreds of LLM alums, here.)

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EducationUSA is the US Department of State’s global network of educational advising centers that promotes the more than 4,700 accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Find the nearest advising center.

Wednesday, October 17 in Curitiba, Brazil: our alumnus Felipe Forte Cobo (LLM 2013), a magistrate judge, will participate in the fair. Join him from 17:00-20:00 at the Hotel Four Points by Sheraton, 4211, Av. Sete de Setembro, Agua Verde, PR.

Monday, October 22 in Buenos Aires, Argentina: our alumna Martina Lourdes Rojo (LLM 2004), a professor of law, will participate in the fair. Join her from 18:00-21:00 at the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center, San Martin 1225/1275, Buenos Aires.

Interested persons are invited to register and attend. And feel free to e-mail LLM[at]uga.edu in order to assure one-to-one meeting – or to correspond, in the event you’re unable to attend one of the fairs.

Hope to see you there!

UN affiliate CIFAL Atlanta: Our new International Judicial Training partner

Cifal AtlantaBeginning this year, Georgia Law’s annual International Judicial Training will be offered in partnership with CIFAL Atlanta, an affiliate of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, or UNITAR.

UNITAR_Vertical_Logo_35mm_Blue-Pantone279C-01-pngCIFAL Atlanta joins an International Judicial Training partnership forged in the late 1990s by Georgia Law’s 2016IJT_fullDSDean Rusk International Law Center and the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia. For nearly 20 years, the trainings have provided provided a high-level learning experience to foreign judges. Included are seminars with distinguished Georgia Law faculty and visits to a variety of courts around the state.

As one of several training centers across the globe linked to UNITAR, CIFAL Atlanta works to build capacity among local governments and civil society leaders, with particular emphases on economic and infrastructure development, fair trade, and good governance.

The 2016 International Judicial Training, to be held November 27 to December 10, will advance Goal 16 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is

E_SDG_Icons-16“dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, the provision of access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels.”

Leaders of the new collaboration, which extends the trainings’ global outreach, include two Georgia Law graduates: Chris Young, CIFAL Executive Director, and Laura Tate Kagel, Director of International Professional Education at the Dean Rusk International Law Center. They work alongside Richard Reaves, Executive Director of the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia, who brings decades of experience in organizing continuing education seminars for judges. Reaves’ extensive contacts throughout Georgia create opportunities for informative exchanges between the international judges and their U.S. counterparts. In Kagel’s words:

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In Georgia Law’s James E. Butler Courtroom, Richard Reaves talks with foreign judges during an International Judicial Training

“The International Judicial Training is more than simply an educational program. It can lead to significant reforms in terms of effective administration of justice and stimulate cross-cultural relationships that can bear fruit for years to come.”

Providing an example of this is Fernando Cerqueira Norberto, Secretary-General of ENFAM, the governing body of Brazilian judicial colleges. According to Cerqueira, Brazilian judges’ longstanding participation in the International Judicial Training correlates to the adoption in his country of innovations such as small claims courts, mediation procedures, and drug courts.

Judges and court personnel from all countries are welcome to apply for the 2016 International Judicial Training; further details and registration are available here.