Why Work at a Court (Tribunal)?
Courts (Tribunais) are among the highest-paying and most stable public service careers in Brazil. The Judiciary has its own budget and consistently offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and work-life balance.
- High salaries: Among the best in Brazilian public service (check the latest edital for updated values)
- Job stability: Lifetime tenure after 3-year probation
- Strong benefits: Health/dental insurance, meal allowance, education support, pension
- 30-35h workweek: Better work-life balance than most sectors
- Career growth: Internal promotions, substitution of judges/directors
- Frequent exams: New concursos every 1-3 years across dozens of courts
Types of Courts in Brazil
| Court | Jurisdiction | Count | Common Exam Board |
|---|---|---|---|
| TJ (Tribunal de Justica) | State civil and criminal cases | 27 | FCC, VUNESP, FGV, CESPE |
| TRF (Tribunal Regional Federal) | Federal cases (Union, autarquias) | 6 | CESPE/CEBRASPE, FCC |
| TRT (Tribunal Regional do Trabalho) | Labor disputes | 24 | FCC (majority) |
| TRE/TSE (Electoral) | Elections, political parties | 27 + 1 | CESPE/CEBRASPE |
| STJ / STF (Superior Courts) | Appeals, constitutional matters | 2 | CESPE/CEBRASPE |
Positions
| Position | Education |
|---|---|
| Tecnico Judiciário (Administrative) | High School |
| Tecnico Judiciário (IT / Police) | High School + Technical |
| Analista Judiciário (Administrative) | Any College Degree |
| Analista Judiciário (Law) | Law Degree |
| Analista Judiciário (IT / Accounting) | Specific Degree |
Check the latest edital for updated salary information. The Judiciary offers some of the highest salaries in Brazilian public service.
Exam Structure: Tecnico Judiciário
| Subject | Questions (approx.) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese Language | 10-15 | High |
| Constitutional Law | 8-10 | High |
| Administrative Law | 8-10 | High |
| Procedural Law (Civil or Criminal) | 5-8 | Medium-High |
| Logical Reasoning / Math | 5-8 | Medium |
| Information Technology | 3-5 | Medium |
| Court-Specific Legislation | 3-5 | Medium |
| Ethics / Statute of the Judiciary | 3-5 | Low-Medium |
Subject-by-Subject Strategy
1. Constitutional Law
- Fundamental rights (Art. 5): Essential incisos, especially due process, access to justice
- Organization of the Judiciary (Arts. 92-126): Court structure, competences, guarantees
- Public administration principles (Art. 37): LIMPE, public servants
- Constitutional remedies: Habeas corpus, mandado de seguranca, acao popular
- Fundamental social rights: Labor rights (for TRT)
2. Administrative Law
- Administrative acts: Elements (COFIFOMOB), attributes, invalidation
- Public servants (Lei 8.112/90): Rights, duties, disciplinary sanctions
- Bidding and contracts (Lei 14.133/21): Modalities, exemptions, contract clauses
- Administrative improbity (Lei 8.429/92): Types of improbity, penalties
- Administrative process (Lei 9.784/99): Principles, phases, appeals
3. Civil Procedural Law (CPC - for TJ and TRF)
- Principles: Adversarial principle, due process, cooperation
- Jurisdiction and competence: Types, modification, conflicts
- Parties: Capacity, representation, intervention of third parties
- Acts of process: Deadlines, nullities, electronic process
- Ordinary procedure: Petition, answer, evidence, judgment
- Appeals: Types, deadlines, effects, requirements
4. Labor Law & Process (for TRT)
- CLT fundamentals: Employment contract, termination, FGTS
- Working hours: Limits, overtime, night work, breaks
- Labor procedure: Dissidios, audiencia, recursos
- Unions: Organization, collective bargaining, strikes
5. Portuguese Language
- Text interpretation: The highest-weight subject after law
- Grammar: Concordancia, regencia, crase, verb tenses
- Text rewriting: Very common in FCC exams
- Official writing: Oficio, despacho, certidao (judicial acts)
Study Plan: 6-12 Months (Tecnico Judiciário)
| Phase | Focus | Flashcards |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1-2 | Constitutional Law + Portuguese Grammar | 200+ cards |
| Months 3-4 | Administrative Law + Logical Reasoning | 400+ cards |
| Months 5-6 | Procedural Law + IT + Specific Legislation | 600+ cards |
| Months 7-8 | Mock exams (from the specific exam board), review weak areas | 800+ cards |
| Months 9-12 | Intensive review, past exams, SM-2 consolidation | 1000+ cards (review) |
The Power of Studying for Multiple Courts
One of the biggest advantages of tribunal concursos: 80%+ of the content overlaps across all courts. If you study Constitutional, Administrative, Portuguese, and Logical Reasoning, you're prepared for TJ, TRF, TRT, and TRE exams simultaneously.
- Core overlap: Constitucional, Administrativo, Português, Raciocínio Lógico
- TRF specific: Federal Procedural Law, European Court references
- TRT specific: Labor Law and Labor Process (CLT)
- TJ specific: State-specific legislation and Regimento Interno
With Mayinab, create a shared Subject for common content and separate Topics for court-specific material. Your flashcards work for all courts!
Flashcard Examples for Tribunal Concursos
Direito Constitucional
- Front: "What are the guarantees of magistrates (Art. 95, CF)?"
- Back: "I - Vitaliciedade (lifetime tenure after 2 years); II - Inamovibilidade (cannot be transferred against will, except public interest by 2/3 vote); III - Irredutibilidade de subsídio (salary cannot be reduced). These guarantee judicial independence."
Direito Administrativo
- Front: "What are the elements of an administrative act (COFIFOMOB)?"
- Back: "COmpetência (who), FInalidade (why - always public interest), FOrma (how - written, published), MOtivo (factual/legal reason), OBjeto (what - the content of the act). ALL are requirements for validity."
Direito Processual Civil
- Front: "What is the deadline for filing an appeal (apelacao) in CPC?"
- Back: "15 business days (Art. 1.003, §5, CPC). Counter-reasons (contrarrazoes): also 15 business days. Public entities (Fazenda Pública) and Defensoria: 30 business days (double deadline, Art. 180/183 CPC)."
Direito do Trabalho (for TRT)
- Front: "What is the maximum weekly working hours under CLT?"
- Back: "44 hours/week, 8 hours/day (Art. 58, CLT). Exceptions: Banking employees: 30h/week (6h/day), Art. 224. Turnover shifts (turnos ininterruptos): 36h/week (6h/day), Art. 7, XIV CF. Overtime: max 2h/day with 50% minimum additional."
Exam Board Strategies
| Board | Style | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| FCC | Literal/textual questions, text rewriting | Study "lei seca" (raw law text). FCC asks almost verbatim. |
| CESPE/CEBRASPE | Right/Wrong, deducts for wrong | Only answer with 70%+ confidence. Watch for absolute words. |
| FGV | Interpretive, longer questions | Focus on understanding concepts, not just memorizing. |
| VUNESP | Balanced, some creativity | Solve past papers extensively. Practice text questions. |
🍵 Your Path to the Judiciary
Tribunal concursos offer some of the best salaries, benefits, and work conditions in Brazilian public service. With dozens of courts opening positions regularly, opportunities are constant. SM-2 spaced repetition lets you retain constitutional articles, administrative law principles, and procedural rules across multiple courts simultaneously. Mayinab combines notes, flashcards, and SM-2 in a free, offline app. Start today: create flashcards from the syllabus, review daily, and apply to every court that opens.