Students from Colégio Etapa experience legal practice at Experience ESEG – Law.

Last Saturday, August 30th, ESEG College, part of the Etapa Group, held another edition of Experience ESEG – Law, an activity aimed at 3rd-year high school students from Colégio Etapa. The event aimed to bring young people closer to legal practice through challenges that stimulate argumentation, critical thinking, and professional conduct.

The central theme of the event was ultra-processed foods, products that already account for approximately 201% of the calories consumed daily by Brazilians, according to research by Fiocruz. Studies indicate a link between this type of food and chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

In the morning, the students divided into groups to analyze the social, economic, and health impacts of these products, also discussing the current legislation in Brazil. Since 2014, the country has had the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, from the Ministry of Health, which recommends avoiding ultra-processed foods. In 2022, front-of-pack nutrition labeling, determined by Anvisa (Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency), came into effect, requiring warnings on packaging when there is excess sugar, sodium, or saturated fat.

Furthermore, the students addressed issues such as the accessibility and cost of food, the influence of advertising aimed at children, and the major legal dilemma: who should be held responsible for the damages caused, the food industry or the State?

The activity was supervised by the coordinator of Law at ESEG, Prof. Dr. Fernando Couto, and the examining board consisted of professors Alexandre Peres Rodrigues, Danilo Rodrigues Bueno, Luciana Chiavoloni de Andrade Jardim, and Nathalia Lima Nahas, with support from Ivan Jacopetti do Lago.

Gabrielle Bortogatto, a sixth-semester law student at ESEG and event monitor, highlighted the importance of the initiative: “I've participated in Experience since the first edition and I love it. Here we have action, knowledge exchange, and the chance to help students develop their argumentation skills. Many arrive shy and, during the day, gain confidence. Furthermore, it's a networking opportunity among undergraduate students who don't always interact daily,” she stated.

After the analyses, each group presented their theses before a jury composed of law professors from ESEG. Thus, the Oral Advocacy competition took place, in which the students defended their arguments in a format similar to that of real courts, experiencing what it's like to be lawyers in training.

The group formed by Mariana Pera de Souza, Leandro Alexandre Alves Vieira, Vitor Serra Bedolo, and Gabriel Omil Luciano won first place in the competition. For them, the experience was intense and memorable.

“"Participating required a lot of work, research, and nervousness, but it was wonderful, and winning was incredible," said Mariana.

Leandro Vieira praised the academic support from the Faculty: “Today was an incredible day. I woke up thinking about winning, but ESEG gave us all the structure and made us understand the subject in depth. It was an unforgettable experience,” said the student.

Gabriel spoke about the challenge of competing with people he doesn't interact with daily: “I had never participated in anything at this level. I didn't know my group, but the greatest reward was seeing how everything happened so intensely and collaboratively, and the networking is what remains.”

The winners earned a scholarship of 100% for any of ESEG's undergraduate courses, starting in the first semester of 2026. 

The students who came in second place, Amir Henrique Gagliardi Khouri, Marjorie Yumi Inoue de Oliveira, Katherine Lee, Bernardo Pulcinelli Viana da Silva, and Vinicius Yan Z Zhu, received 70% scholarships.

Congratulations to the winners!