Mariana França Gouveia has a degree and a PhD in Law. In the same year she graduated from the University of Lisbon (1997) she joined the PhD Program at the NOVA School of Law, and in 2003 she obtained a PhD in Civil Procedural Law (A Causa de Pedir na Ação Declarativa, Almedina, 2004).

Her area of specialisation included, in addition to Civil Procedural Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, particularly Arbitration and Mediation. In this area she has created and directs the NOVA Dispute Resolution Forum, a knowledge centre that investigates and trains in matters of Civil Procedure (Academy of Civil Procedure) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (RAL Laboratory).

Since September 2018, she has been the Director of NOVA School of Law.

She is also a partner at PLMJ Lawyers, part of the Dispute Resolution team.

Her career is divided between management, teaching and academic research, with recognised work in the field of Justice (in particular Economic Justice, FFMS, 2012) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (in particular, Alternative Dispute Resolution Course, Almedina, 2014) and her practice as a lawyer and arbitrator in complex domestic and international arbitration proceedings.