International Law

8-year-old Passes Law School Entry Exam in Brazil

By Garry J. Wise, Wise Law Office, Toronto

The Canadian Press Reports:

An eight-year-old boy with dreams of becoming a judge has passed a law school entrance exam, shocking Brazil's legal profession and prompting a federal investigation.

The Universidade Paulista, a multi-campus private university, issued a statement acknowledging that Joao Victor Portellinha de Oliveira had passed the entrance exam and that it initially enrolled him. But he was turned away from classes when he showed up on Thursday with his father.

?"I think they should have been more considerate," the boy's mother, Maristela, told the UOL news website. "At least they should've allowed him to visit the college's facilities."

The Brazilian Bar Association said the boy's achievement should be a warning about the low standards of some of the country's law schools.

Education Minister Fernando Haddad expressed concern and said he had ordered an investigation.

It appears this is a combination of a very intelligent boy, and very low entry standard to Brazillian law schools. Nonetheless, I whole heartedly agree with the Law School refusing to allow the boy to attend classes.

There are age requirements for drinking, voting, joining the military and even taking part in the Olympic games. Perhaps there should also be an age requirement for attending certain educational programs aimed at providing specific services to the public in Brazil and other countries.

- Annie Noa Kenet, Toronto

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Full post as published by Wise Law Blog on March 23, 2008 (boomark / email).