Lula picks his personal lawyer for Supreme Court seat

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has confirmed what was arguably the worst-kept secret in Brasília: the nomination of lawyer Cristiano Zanin for the vacant seat on Brazil’s Supreme Court. But the 47-year-old Mr. Zanin is not just any lawyer, he is Lula’s personal attorney, having represented the president during his Operation Car Wash corruption cases and throughout the 2022 election campaign.

The nomination was announced this afternoon ahead of Lula’s meeting with Senator Davi Alcolumbre, chair of the Constitution and Justice Committee in the upper house of Brazil’s Congress — step one for the confirmation hearings for all Supreme Court nominees (after a nod from the committee, nominations must be confirmed by the Senate’s floor).

Confirmation hearings are usually a formality, with senators throwing softball questions and overwhelmingly supporting the nomination of any president. Since Brazil became a republic in 1889, only five nominations have been barred — all of them came in the 19th century.

Not even the problems in the government’s liaison with Congress should keep Mr. Zanin from being confirmed — perhaps even before the mid-year legislative recess that begins July 17.

The nominee dined with Mr. Alcolumbre, Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco, and Supreme Court Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Gilmar Mendes on Wednesday evening. In a press conference this afternoon, Mr. Pacheco said he approved of the...