ADVOCACIAS DATIVA E PRO BONO: AMPLIAÇÃO DO ACESSO À JUSTIÇA COMO COMPROMISSO SOCIAL DOS ADVOGADOS

Abstract

The lawyer's role ensures access to justice and the protection of human rights. By combining technical knowledge and ethics, it acts as a transformative agent in society. The recent technological advancements implemented by the Brazilian Judiciary contribute to the efficiency of judicial activities and impact legal practice; however, they also reveal the socioeconomic inequality that permeates Brazilian society, exposing the scourge of digital exclusion. The Public Defender's Office shows a clear insufficiency in addressing the judicial demands of the underprivileged, raising the research question: Can court-appointed lawyers and pro bono advocacy contribute to increasing access to justice and promoting equality of rights for vulnerable populations in Brazil, given the limitations of the Public Defender's Office? In this context, the main objective is to demonstrate, through deductive, bibliographic, and documentary research, the indispensable role of these forms of advocacy in defending constitutional guarantees and ensuring access to justice. To this end, the first thematic chapter addresses the social function of advocacy and access to justice, emphasizing the ethical and social commitment of lawyers. The second chapter analyzes the process of virtualization and digitalization of the Brazilian Judiciary, reflecting on its exclusionary bias regarding the underprivileged. In the third chapter, the social role of court-appointed and pro bono advocacy is characterized as instruments for realizing the right to access justice. Finally, the study seeks to demonstrate that court-appointed lawyers and pro bono advocacy play an essential role in defending constitutional guarantees and ensuring access to justice.