SJD, A Crucial Degree: Daniel Castelo Branco Ramos '21

As a federal judge in Brazil, Daniel Castelo Branco Ramos describes his day to day as “overwhelming.” With the number of cases per judge always in the thousands, one of the highest on average in the world, Judge Ramos is lucky if he has any down time at all.

“Many of my cases involve a lot of litigation. Each morning, I dedicate myself to studying the most complex cases, elaborating on, and editing my opinions. In the afternoon, I attend to the lawyers, preside over hearings, and coordinate my advisors. As a morning person, this division of tasks works well. Even though it is extremely busy, I enjoy what I do, both the intellectual tasks and the personal contact with lawyers and litigants.”

Judge Ramos is also a professor, teaching environmental law, tax law, administrative law, and civil procedure law at the Milton Campos Law School, a private law school in Brazil. “Learning has always been of interest to me and in turn, so has teaching. I graduated with a degree in law from the Federal University of Minas Gerais 1998, which is one of the most traditional and respected universities in Brazil. I later received a master’s degree in public law in 2009 from the same University.”

It was Judge Ramos’s interest in both learning and environmental law that led him to pursue his SJD at Haub Law. “I knew Haub Law’s strong reputation and decided to apply for the doctoral program in environmental law. In addition, the differences between the legal systems in the United States and Brazil motivated me to do more in-depth comparative law research.” While he was a student at Pace, Judge Ramos had what he describes as many outstanding professors, including David Cassuto, Jason Czarnezki, and Nicholas Robinson.

While Judge Ramos describes the SJD program at Haub Law as one of the toughest intellectual and personal tasks of his life, he is very cognizant of the importance of the end result. “I work with environmental litigation and teach environmental law. The knowledge that I acquired during my SJD studies was crucial both in solving practical day-to-day issues and in deepening my legal thinking and research. Additionally, being immersed in a learning environment with a social and legal culture so different from the one I was used to was invaluable.”

When he isn’t behind the bench or in the classroom, Judge Ramos enjoys immersing himself in the nature of his home state, Minas Gerais, its many nature reserves, impressive waterfalls, fauna and flora. He is also very interested in the arts, literature, and music.