Jose Barbosa was born in Cajuru (SP), in March 1st 1917, son of labor workers and socialist militant Moises Antonio Barbosa e Teodora Barbosa do Nascimento.
His earlier studies were done in the cities of Batatais, Icem and Barretos. In 1938, initiated the pre-juridical studies at Law School of the University of Sao Paulo (Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Sao Paulo – USP), being president of the Academy of Letters and orator elected by his colleagues. Two years later, was member of the Juridical and Social Sciences Course at the same institution, displaying great interest towards political and social issues from that time, as well as journalistic activities. During his university studies, was member of the journal O Universitário and the magazine Arcadia, and started working at the journal A Noite.
In 1943, during Estado Novo period (1937-1945), was invited to make a speech before the very presence of Getulio Vargas, brazilian president, for the inauguration of the Intellectual Assistance Service (Serviço de Assistência aos Intelectuais), in Sao Paulo. On that occasion, Jose Barbosa demanded the president of Republic the professional minimum wage for the journalists. In 1944, the year he graduated at USP, taking advantage from the opportunity of being invited by Vargas to participate of a press meeting at the Rio Negro Palace, in Petropolis (RJ), presented the president a paperwork elaborated by the Journalists Union of Sao Paulo. At this meeting, was settled that Jose Barbosa and Andre Carrazzoni, president of the Journalists Union of Rio de Janeiro, together with the Minister of Labor, Alexandre Marcondes Machado Filho, they would solve the problems concerning the category. The result of such understanding ended up being established in November that year, when a law was passed and the journalist profession was made official.
Soon after the deposition of Vargas, in October 29th 1945, Jose Barbosa headed to Sao Borja (RS) to share his solidarity to the deposed president. In the following November, at the same city, Barbosa enrolled, among others, Vargas at the Brazilian Labor Party (Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro – PTB), being one of its founders.
Founder of the Labor Doctrine Course, in Sao Paulo 1947, Jose Barbosa promoted plenty of speeches and debates about the basis and foundations of labor activity in Brazil. In the following year, became General-Secretary of the paulista directory of his party.
In 1951, became director of the Institute of Welfare and Assistance for Public Servants of Estate (Instituto de Previdência e Assistência dos Servidores do Estado), where he remained until 1954, the same year he quit his activities at the journal A Noite. Militant lawyer, made great effort to provide the municipality servants the benefits of welfare and social assistance. At the IV National Congress of Municipalities, held in Rio de Janeiro, April 1957, presented a theory, approved at the meeting, which defended the requests of public servants of brazilian municipalities.
In 1963, was part of the Federal Legislative, occupying a chair until November next year. He was returned to his chair in March 7th 1964, remaining there until the end of his term (January 31st 1967). Due to the extinction of political parties by the Institutional Act nº 2, in October 1965, and the instauration of Two-Parties System, joined the Brazilian Democratic Movement (Movimento Democrático Brasileiro – MDB), opposition party against the military regimen inaugurated in Brazil April 1964, being General-Secretary in Sao Paulo. During his term, was the President of the Commission for Constitution and Justice (1965-1966) and participant of the debates for 1967’s Constitution elaboration, being the author of the amend declaring the Offshore Platform Union’s property.
After leaving the Congress, dedicated himself to his previous activities. Political thinker, returned to the public scenario in December 1975, when organized the basis and foundations of the so-called “neo labor-system” (neotrabalhismo), proposing the creation of Workers Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores – PT). At the same period, stated on the Diary of Commerce and Industry (Diario de Comércio e Indústria), that the labor system was the democratic socialism, pluralist and communitarian; was the Christian socialism, where everyone should work and produce, so that, afterwards, they could share the bread. His intention was to make pressure on the foundations of Two-Parties System, and to rise once again the democracy, expecting that the president of Brazil, General Ernest Geisel (1974-1979), would call in 1978 a National Constitutional Assembly (Assembléia Nacional Constituinte – ANC), responsible for elaborating, approving and promulgating a new Constitution.
Due to the end of Two-Party System in November 1979, and the parties reformulation, Jose Barbosa joined the recreated PTB, but strongly criticized the division among the popular forces. Distant from the party activities, returned once again to the political scenario by request of the President of ANG, Ulisses Guimaraes, that invited him to be one of the special counselors for the constitutional works initiated in February 1st, 1987.
In 1944, having the company of Getulio Vargas in Petropolis, Jose Barbosa knew at Vargas’s country house Gabriela Mistral, writer and poet from Chile, holder of Nobel Prize of Literature, to whom was recommended, by letter, by the teacher Carolina Ribeiro, director of the Caetano de Campos School, in Sao Paulo, inviting her to make a speech at Faculdade do Largo do Sao Francisco (the way the USP Law School is known), with the sponsorship of its Academy of Letters. Gabriela Mistral accepted the invitation and offered Barbosa her house, coexistence that is part of an unpublished work about revelations of the main thinker from the Andes; as well as the death of Stephan Zweig and his companionship.
By the year of the promulgation of the new Constitutional Chart, in October 5th 1988, Jose Barbosa retired compulsorily, due to his 70th anniversary. Since then, he has been dedicating himself to law activities, as juridical counselor. In 2000, besides juridical activities, he has been displaying his talent as writer.
Throughout his journey, was Director of the Secretary for Juridical Writs Distribution of the Regional Tribunal of Labor, in Rio de Janeiro, and president of the Institute of Retirement and Pensions for the Bank Employees.
Since 2001, is the Head-Lawyer of B&B Juridical Consultancy, specialized on Immigration and International Law, as well as Sentences Revision in the European Union and Brazil. He also earned plenty of Medals and Motions, due to his eminent path as Jurist.
