One of the greatest tests of Diniz’s career was the transition from the 1916 Civil Code to the new 2002 Civil Code. The new code introduced principles of social solidarity, good faith, and the "existential minimum" (dignity of the human person), which were a departure from the individualistic 19th-century French model.
This formula demystified the Civil Code. It allowed a student to grasp the theory and a lawyer to immediately find precedent. The Curso became a staple on the desks of Brazilian judges and a mandatory citation in legal theses. maria helena diniz