Activities
José Eduardo Cardozo is a lawyer, registered with the Brazilian Bar Association.
A renowned attorney, he has delivered hundreds of inaugural lectures, talks, conferences, and courses at various prestigious national and international institutions. He has taught at major law schools, universities, and preparatory courses for admission to the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. He is currently a professor of law at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) and teaches in the graduate programs of the Centro Universitário de Brasília (UniCEUB) and the Paulista School of Law (EPD).
Author of numerous articles and books, his notable legal and political works include the monographs “Da Retroatividade da Lei” (“On the Retroactivity of the Law” – 1995) and “A Máfia das Propinas – Investigando a Corrupção em São Paulo” (“The Bribe Mafia – Investigating Corruption in São Paulo” – 2000). In the field of legal education, he was co-organizer, alongside João Eduardo Lopes and Márcia Walquíria Batista Santos, of the book “Curso de Direito Administrativo Econômico” (“Course on Economic Administrative Law” – 2006).
In the Federal Executive branch, he held the positions of Minister of Justice of Brazil (2011 to 2016) and Attorney General of the Union (2016). As a career Municipal Attorney (1982 to 2018), he served as a Legal Advisor to the Office of the Attorney General and as Head of the Legal Advisory Office of the Municipal Secretariat of Legal Affairs of São Paulo (1988). Within the Executive branch of the Municipality of São Paulo, he also held the positions of Secretary of Government of the City of São Paulo (1989 to 1992) and Secretary of Government Coordination (1989).
Academic Background
He holds a Law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), where he graduated with honors, receiving the “Escola Paulista de Direito” award, granted to the student with the highest grades throughout the course. He obtained his Master’s degree in Law from the same university (1993) and earned his Doctorate (Ph.D.) from the Universities of Salamanca and São Paulo (2023).