Law Society member Christiana Ramalho Cavalcante was born October 26, 1975, in Recife Brazil. After attending law school, she worked for three years at a private company before deciding to study an additional two years to become a state prosecutor.
After becoming a prosecutor, she attended a symposium in Fortaleza where she met Aroldo Cavalcante, who was studying law. The couple fell in love and were married on November 22, 2002. Christiana was Catholic but during her friendship and courtship with Aroldo, she decided to study more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A short time later, Christiana decided to be baptized and become a member of the Church.
Just months after their marriage, Christiana took a job in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, which was nearly 1,000 miles away from where Aroldo worked. Due to the distance, the couple only saw each other every two weeks. This changed when Chrisitana was assigned to work as a state prosecutor in Recife. Aroldo was working as an attorney for the city of Fortaleza at the time but moved to Recife to be closer to Christiana, who was pregnant. The couple welcomed their first son, Yago, into their family, and soon after, Christiana gave birth to their daughter Lara. A few years later they had two additional sons, Tales and Theo.
Speaking about balancing her roles as both lawyer and mother, Christiana says she has “always felt that my professional life strengthened my role as a mother rather than competing with it.” She also explained that “being fulfilled in my legal career brought me joy and purpose, and that joy that naturally flowed into my home. Because I felt happy and aligned in that part of my life, I was able to be more present, patient and intentional with my children.”
In June 2020, the Cavalcantes were called as interim mission leaders for the Church in the Recife South and Recife North missions. Later, they had the opportunity to preside over the Brazil Rio de Janeiro South Mission of the Church, beginning in July 2021. Less than one year later, in May 2022, the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple of the Church was dedicated. For Christiana, the temple dedication was a testament to the work and determination of many devoted Church members over the years and reminded her of one her favorite scriptures, “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30).
Despite her career demands, and later, her responsibilities as a mission leader, Sister Cavalcante explained, “I have made it a priority to be there in every stage of my children’s lives--helping with their schoolwork, attending their activities, and being actively involved in their social and church experiences. I organized [my] work around their schedule, working while they were at school and continuing into the night when they were asleep. For me, this was never a burden. It was a blessing.”
Soon after completing their missionary service in Rio de Janeiro, Sister Cavalcante’s husband was called as a General Authority Seventy for the Church. This assignment required Christiana and her family to relocate from Brazil to the United States and start a new chapter. Moving four children to a new country and getting them acclimated to a new life and activities would likely be stressful. However, Sister Cavalcante’s positive attitude has helped her adapt, saying, "I have always felt deeply grateful to do meaningful work while being fully present in the lives of my four children.”
Christiana also sees how her faith has been central in her journey, and how motherhood and her profession as an attorney are “sacred callings that can beautifully support each other.” She also shared that as a public prosecutor, she “often felt that my work was not just a profession, but a way to serve. I was helping others--especially those who had no voice--deeply nourished by my spirit.”
And, consistent with the mission of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, she remarks, “I have always committed to do my work with excellence and integrity.”
One such experience was a partnership between the Law Society and the Public Prosecutors of the State of Pernambuco in Brazil. The project involved approximately 100 legal professionals coming together to provide pro bono legal service. The attorneys were able to serve 206 elderly people living in long-term care institutions, each receiving a one-on-one consultation with an attorney. Many of the clients were poor and had no other access to legal help.
Reflecting on her experience with the program, Christiana states, “On my own, I would never have been able to reach each one of them. But through this collective effort, I received the information I needed to act. I was able to make the necessary legal steps--filing actions and ensuring that each person’s rights were protected.” The project became a milestone in the justice system in Pernambuco, and more importantly, reminded Christiana that “when we work together with a desire to serve, we can go beyond our individual limits and truly change lives.”
Although no longer practicing law, Sister Cavacante continues to put the skills she developed through her legal education and career to use in helping those she interacts with in her service in the Church and community. Reflecting on her life, Christiana states, “I carry deep gratitude for the opportunity I have had to serve both my family and my profession. To me, they have never been in conflict; they have always been part of the same purpose. When we choose to serve with love--at home and in our profession--we become instruments of change in lives, including our own.”