How Ministers of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court are built: two trajectories in perspective

Abstract

Luiz Edson Fachin and Alexandre de Moraes were the last two jurists to join the highest federal court of Brazil, the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The Presidency of the Republic made these nominations, which have received much criticism by members of Congress and some sectors of society due to the judges’ previous relations to opposing political groups. Based on these two cases, this article seeks to understand how the trajectories of STF’s ministers are built. Above all, our purpose is to examine the particular investments of these judges by putting into perspective their family inheritances, academic capital, legal careers, and position in the political sphere. Our results contribute to the literature related to the recruitment processes of STF judges, while empirically demonstrating that academic and legal expertise, solid political capital, and broad social relations, including political militancy, can aid in the ascension to the highest federal court of Brazil.