OAB PR

History and Founding

The Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (OAB) was created nationally in 1930, and the Paraná Section was established two years later in 1932. The section celebrated its 93rd anniversary in 2025, marking nearly a century of regulating the legal profession in the state. Its early presidents included figures such as Raymundo Faoro and Eduardo Rocha Virmond, though no single individual is formally recorded as the founder. The association has grown to become the second-largest state section of the OAB, with a membership base spanning all 399 municipalities of Paraná.

Governance and Structure

OAB Paraná operates under a democratic governance model: its president and board are elected by member lawyers for three-year terms. The current president, Marilena Winter, was elected on November 25, 2021, and is the first woman to lead the section. The association’s extensive committee structure covers diverse legal areas—including criminal law, civil rights, animal law, corporate law, and digital law—issuing opinions and policy recommendations that influence legal practice in the state. There are no corporate C-level titles such as CEO or CTO; operational leadership is distributed among administrative directors and elected officers.

Member Services and Digital Initiatives

OAB Paraná provides a wide range of services to its members. The Simplifica portal offers video tutorials and step-by-step guides for electronic court systems (eProc TJPR, eProc TRF4, PJe, PROJUDI) and digital certificates. The OABPR+ mobile app gives exclusive discounts, cashback, and partner offers. Other member-facing platforms include Honorários Dativos (payment system for court-appointed attorneys), Prerrogativas (a hotline and online channel for defending professional rights), Ouvidoria (ombudsman service), and OAB Resolve (conciliation and mediation center). In recent years, the association launched a WhatsApp-based legal assistance platform to improve accessibility. It also froze annual membership fees for 2026 while offering double discounts on qualification courses—transforming fee payments into credits for professional training.

Market Position and Public Role

As a regulatory and representative body, OAB Paraná does not operate in a commercial market. Instead, it serves as a key institutional voice on legal and judicial matters in Paraná. It actively participates in municipal human rights councils for the 2025–2026 biennium and runs projects such as “Fomento à Inclusão – Equidade no Meio Jurídico” (funded by PROEX) to promote equity in the legal field. The association also gained a new headquarters in the Ahú neighborhood of Curitiba, inaugurated in 2024, symbolizing its continued institutional growth.

Criticism and Challenges

OAB Paraná has faced criticism over the slow adoption of electronic court systems (eProc) in some comarcas. The association has responded by providing structured training programs and engaging in direct dialogue with the Court of Justice to accelerate digitalization. Despite these challenges, it remains a respected institutional voice on broader issues such as judicial reform and anti-corruption measures.