The Association of American Law Schools

What The Association of American Law Schools does

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) is a nonprofit membership organization and learned society founded in 1900 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It represents approximately 174 member law schools and 20 fee-paid law schools in the United States, serving law school deans, faculty, and administrators through governance, accreditation support, professional development, scholarly collaboration, and shared resources. AALS operates over 100 free academic sections, an Annual Meeting, a Clinical Conference, a New Law Teachers Workshop, Faculty Focus webinars, and Deans Dialogues, and publishes the Journal of Legal Education, the AALS News newsletter, AALS LENS, and the Clinical Law Review.

The organization's core products include the Faculty Appointments Register and Placement Bulletin (faculty hiring services), the Directory of Law Teachers, the AALS Rosenblatt's Deans Database, and four thematic clearinghouses covering antiracism, academic freedom and free speech, rule of law, and student mental health. AALS has expanded its digital footprint through the 2025 acquisitions of Rosenblatt's Deans Database (August 2025) and TaxProf Blog (October 2025), and recently relaunched its Member Portal. Strategic partnerships include a 2026 collaboration with West Academic on AI in legal education and a joint research initiative with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) on the Before the JD II Study examining undergraduate pathways to law school.

AALS funds its operations primarily through recurring institutional membership dues from law schools, supplemented by donations, publications revenue, event registrations, advertising (via Naylor Association Solutions), and partnership contributions. The organization is governed by its member institutions rather than by external shareholders or private equity, and its operating geographies are concentrated in the United States.

Name

The Association of American Law Schools

Legal name

Association of American Law Schools

Website

https://aals.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) is a 1900-founded nonprofit membership association of approximately 174 U.S. law schools plus 20 fee-paid schools, serving deans, faculty, and administrators through professional development, academic publications, faculty recruitment services, thematic clearinghouses, and an annual meeting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services for Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

ABA-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools (EDAHAIAA), Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy) (EDAHAIAF)

Keywords

• Legal education association
• Law school membership
• Legal academia services
• Faculty professional development
• Legal scholarship

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AALS generates primary revenue through membership dues from its approximately 174 member law schools and 20 fee-paid law schools. Schools contribute to fund association activities, programs, and services for the legal education community.
2. Donations and Contributions: The association accepts charitable contributions to support its mission of advancing excellence in legal education, including funding for innovative teaching methods, scholarly collaboration, and diversity initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) is a nonprofit membership organization and learned society that serves approximately 174 member law schools and 20 fee-paid law schools in the United States. It provides law schools and their faculty with professional development, faculty recruitment services (Faculty Appointments Register), scholarly publications (Journal of Legal Education, Clinical Law Review), governance support, research studies, over 100 disciplinary and affinity-based Sections, and clearinghouse resources on topics such as academic freedom, student mental health, rule of law, and antiracism.

Product overview

The Association of American Law Schools operates as a membership organization and learned society for legal educators, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include news platforms (AALS LENS, TaxProf Blog), academic publications (Journal of Legal Education, Clinical Law Review), research studies (Before the JD Study, Beyond the Bachelor's, Law School Dean Study), and professional development services (Faculty Appointment Services, Faculty Focus webinars, New Law Teachers Workshop, Deans Dialogues). AALS also maintains the Faculty & Staff Directory and the AALS Rosenblatt's Deans Database. The organization supports its 174 member and 20 fee-paid law schools through over 100 Sections, major events (Annual Meeting, Clinical Conference), and four thematic clearinghouses (Antiracist, Academic Freedom & Free Speech, Rule of Law, Student Mental Health). Members access services through the online Member Portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TaxProf Blog: A professional blog and resource platform for law faculty, covering tax law and related academic topics. Acquired by AALS in October 2025.

Products and services

• Faculty Appointment Services Service connecting individuals interested in becoming law school teachers with schools seeking new faculty, including the Faculty Appointments Register (FAR) and Placement Bulletin. For law schools, candidates seeking teaching roles, and lateral faculty candidates.
• Journal of Legal Education Academic publication of AALS fostering interchange of ideas and information about legal education and related matters. For legal scholars, faculty, and library subscribers.
• AALS News Newsletter Official AALS newsletter published four times a year, keeping readers abreast of association activities, awards programs, and opportunities of interest to law faculty. For law school faculty, deans, and administrators.
• Faculty & Staff Directory (Directory of Law Teachers) Comprehensive listing of AALS member and fee-paid law schools and their faculty, described as the most widely used desk reference for deans and law teachers. For law school deans, faculty, and recruiters.
• AALS Rosenblatt's Deans Database Comprehensive database of law school deans information, acquired by AALS to serve the legal education community. For law school leadership and governance communities.
• AALS Annual Meeting Major annual conference hosting programs from AALS sections and featuring networking opportunities for legal educators. For law school leadership, faculty, and administrators.
• New Law Teachers Workshop Annual workshop for new law school teachers providing professional development and community building for early-career faculty. For new tenure-track, clinical, legal research and writing, and non-tenure-track law faculty.
• Faculty Focus Webinars Series of hour-long webinars featuring expert advice from law school leaders supporting new tenure-track, clinical, legal research and writing, and non-tenure-track faculty. For early-career law faculty.
• Deans Dialogues Series enabling law school deans to share with and learn from one another on important issues, challenges, and opportunities they face. For law school deans.
• AALS Sections Over 100 free sections for law school faculty, administrators, and staff organized around various academic disciplines, affinity groups, and areas of professional interest. For AALS member law school faculty, administrators, and staff.
• Clinical Law Review Academic journal focused on clinical legal education, published in partnership with NYU School of Law. For legal scholars and clinicians.
• Law Deans Antiracist Clearinghouse Resource clearinghouse supporting law school leaders in addressing systemic racism and promoting antiracist initiatives in legal education. For law school deans and administrators.
• Law Deans Clearinghouse for Academic Freedom & Free Speech Clearinghouse providing resources, policies, and guidance on free speech and academic freedom issues for law deans, in response to ABA Standard 208 requirements. For law school deans.
• Rule of Law Clearinghouse Resource clearinghouse in partnership with ABA's Task Force for American Democracy, offering scholarly articles, statements, podcasts, webinars, and educational resources focused on challenges to the rule of law. For law school faculty and the legal community.
• Law Deans Clearinghouse for Student Mental Health Clearinghouse providing resources to help law schools address student mental health, wellness, and wellbeing through shared programs, partnerships, and best practices. For law school deans and student services staff.
• Before the JD Study National study examining undergraduate perspectives on law school, launched to address declining law school applications in the United States. For legal education researchers and policy stakeholders.
• Beyond the Bachelor's Study Second report from the Before the JD study, exploring undergraduate perspectives on graduate and professional degrees. For legal education researchers and policy stakeholders.
• Law School Dean Study Research study based on survey of 197 sitting and 222 former law deans who served between 2010 and 2020, examining the American law school deanship. For legal education researchers and deans.
• Member Portal Online platform for AALS members to access resources, manage their profiles, and engage with association services and sections. For AALS member school faculty, administrators, and staff.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Law School Admission Council (LSAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026LSAC and AALS launched the Before the JD II Study to examine undergraduate journeys to legal education, graduate education, and the workforce. This joint research initiative continues their collaboration from the original Before the JD study that was conducted in the wake of declining law school applications.
• West AcademiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026AALS and West Academic announced a strategic partnership in January 2026 to advance legal education on artificial intelligence. The partnership focuses on developing resources and programs to help law schools integrate AI topics into their curricula and prepare students for an AI-transformed legal profession.
• TaxProf BlogmajorTechnology or Integration · 23 October 2025AALS acquired and now hosts TaxProf Blog, a renowned legal education and tax law news platform. The acquisition ensures continuity and preservation of the blog's extensive archives after it shut down due to platform issues. The blog is now integrated into AALS's news and information hub.
• American Bar Association (ABA) Task Force for American DemocracymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAALS established a Rule of Law Clearinghouse in partnership with the ABA's Task Force for American Democracy, co-chaired by former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and former U.S. Court of Appeals Judge J. Michael Luttig. The clearinghouse provides scholarly resources on challenges to the rule of law.
• Naylor Association SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNaylor Association Solutions serves as AALS's advertising partner, providing access to marketing opportunities including the Weekly eNewsletter, targeted advertising, and advertising on the AALS website and Annual Meeting website.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: The ABA is the largest professional association for the legal profession and serves as the formal accreditor of U.S. law schools. It is highly comparable to AALS as the other central institutional pillar of American legal education, with overlapping audiences (deans, faculty, students) and overlapping policy domains (accreditation, rule of law).
• Association of American Universities: AAU is a membership association of leading U.S. research universities, many of whose law schools are AALS members. It is broadly comparable as an institutional membership body representing elite higher-education institutions on policy, research, and accreditation matters.
• American Council on Education: ACE is a major higher-education membership organization that coordinates policy advocacy across U.S. colleges and universities. It is broadly comparable as a coordinating body for higher education institutions, including many AALS member schools.

Direct peers

• Law School Admission Council: LSAC administers the LSAT and supports law school admissions through research and shared services. It is a direct strategic peer of AALS in serving the legal-education ecosystem, with formal collaboration via the Before the JD II Study and overlapping audience of law school deans and admissions leadership.
• American Association of Law Libraries: AALL is a membership association for law librarians and legal information professionals affiliated with law schools and law firms. It is directly comparable as a learned society and professional association serving a specific constituency within the legal-education community.
• Association of American Medical Colleges: AAMC is the membership association for medical schools and teaching hospitals, administering admissions (MCAT) and leading policy advocacy. It is one of the closest functional analogues to AALS: an institutional membership body for professional schools in a regulated profession.

Regional players

• Council of Independent Colleges: CIC is a membership association for private, nonprofit colleges and universities. Many of its member institutions host law schools, making it a structurally comparable institutional-membership organization in higher education that intersects with AALS's audience.
• National Association of College and University Business Officers: NACUBO is a membership association serving higher-education business and financial officers. It is comparable as a learned-society / membership model serving a specific professional constituency within U.S. universities and colleges.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@associationofamericanlawsc3160/playlists
• Xx.com/theaals
• Facebookfacebook.com/theaals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theaals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A2 records

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Association of American Law Schools