He engaged in a variety of tasks and occupations that made his life an austere one. In 1817, in the period between receiving his full degree and beginning his Doctorate in Laws, he went on retreat to the Braga Episcopal Seminary, on the recommendation of a distant relative, Reverend Manuel António Dias de São Tiago, who was also trained in Canon Law. He was then appointed to teach the subject of Canonical Institutions. His ties to the religious world became closer still in 1819-1820, when he took minor orders in the city of Porto. From 1822 to 1834, he earned a living without becoming an official member of the teaching staff. He successfully took the “exame de repetição” and was appointed “Opositor” (a form of lecturer), but was unable to advance further, possibly for political reasons. Suspicion that this was the case is based on the research of Paulo Mereia and Braga da Cruz: we know that at this time the appointment of an Opositor required the unanimous vote in favour of all the university’s professors (Charter Law of 1 February 1822), and also that Rocha’s name was on the list drawn up by the Expurgatorial Board in 1823, which accused him of having given a lecture on the Constitution in 1822 and of having made serious statements about the political influence of the Council of Trent (Esboço de uma história da Faculdade de Direito…, vol. I, 1952; No centenário da morte…, 1950, pp.8-9). It is said that when he gave some classes in Public Constitutional Law as a substitute lecturer at the Faculty of Laws, Rocha’s performance was noteworthy and his audience considerable. Reis Torgal says that the students gave an enthusiastic reception to the first professor to teach the Constitution and the new liberal legislation (“Universidade, conservadorismo…”, 1990, pp.140-141). Rocha took up the vacant post of extraordinary substitute lecturer in the 1827-28 academic year, but immediately resigned when Dom Miguel was crowned king. He withdrew to his home town, where he worked as a lawyer (1828-1834).

As soon as the liberal faction gained ground, Rocha returned to Coimbra, this time as permanent lecturer of the History of Roman and Portuguese Jurisprudence at the Faculty of Laws in 1834-35 and 1836/37 – a post for which he was proposed by José Alexandre de Campos (and in which he was confirmed by royal charter issued by Queen Maria on 25/11/1834). When the University Reform was decreed by Passos Manuel (5/XII/1836), Rocha became a member of the new Faculty of Law, where he was responsible for Portuguese Civil Law from 1838 until his death in 1850.

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