Law and Society Association

What Law and Society Association does

The Law and Society Association (LSA) is a nonprofit professional scholarly association founded in 1964 and headquartered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that serves as the largest international organization for sociolegal scholars — researchers studying the relationship between law, legal institutions, and society from law, sociology, anthropology, political science, and adjacent disciplines. LSA's core products are the peer-reviewed Law & Society Review journal (published quarterly by Cambridge University Press since 1966), an annual conference with a recurring international Global Meeting held approximately every five years, and a portfolio of community programs including Collaborative Research Networks (CRNs), International Research Collaboratives (41 active as of 2021), a Career Center, a member portal, and fellowship programs such as the Michele Bratcher Goodwin Fellowship.

LSA operates a membership-based revenue model anchored in recurring annual membership dues (with tiers for regular members, students, and special international members) and annual conference registration fees (tiered from $65 for student/special international members to $275 for nonmembers at the LSA2021 virtual event). Supplemental revenue comes from journal licensing royalties through the Cambridge University Press partnership, donations solicited via the website, and periodic competitive grants — notably a $298,500 NSF Division of Law & Science grant awarded in 2021 (the fourth such award in 14 years) to support international collaboration and junior scholar activities.

The association is governed by an elected Board of Trustees and led by elected officers (President, Secretary, Treasurer) and an Executive Director (Steven Boutcher). Its international footprint is material: roughly 50% of annual meeting attendees come from outside the United States, the 2019 conference drew participants from 65 countries, and LSA maintains reciprocal partnerships with eight regional sociolegal associations spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. International membership rose 33% year-over-year in 2021, and the organization has institutionalized global strategy through an inaugural Coordinator of Global Activities role created in 2021.

Name

Law and Society Association

Legal name

Law and Society Association

Website

https://lawandsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Law and Society Association is the largest international nonprofit scholarly association for sociolegal researchers, operating a peer-reviewed journal (Law & Society Review, with Cambridge University Press), annual and global meetings, and a network of 41 International Research Collaboratives serving thousands of interdisciplinary scholars worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Academic Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Sociolegal scholarship
• Professional academic association
• Scholarly journal publishing
• Academic conference services
• Interdisciplinary research networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to networking, professional development, Collaborative Research Networks, and member portal access.
2. Conference Registration: Registration fees for annual meetings, with tiered pricing for students, international members, and regular members.
3. Journal Licensing: Cambridge University Press publishes the Law & Society Review journal on behalf of LSA, generating licensing revenue.
4. Donations: LSA accepts donations to support its mission and activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Law and Society Association (LSA) is a nonprofit professional scholarly association that connects sociolegal scholars worldwide through annual membership, an annual conference, the peer-reviewed Law & Society Review journal (published via Cambridge University Press), Collaborative Research Networks (CRNs), and International Research Collaboratives (IRCs). It provides networking, professional development, mentorship, and publication venues for interdisciplinary law-and-society scholarship.

Product overview

Law and Society Association is a professional association for sociolegal scholars offering a portfolio of products and services centered around its peer-reviewed journal Law & Society Review (published by Cambridge University Press), annual meetings and conferences, international Collaborative Research Networks (CRNs), International Research Collaboratives (IRCs), membership programs with networking and professional development benefits, a Member Portal, Career Center, and fellowship programs for graduate students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Law & Society Review (LSR) Peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by Cambridge University Press on behalf of LSA, featuring sociolegal scholarship on the relationship between society and law, legal institutions, and legal processes.
• Annual Meetings

Quantifiable outcome

• LSA has grown to be the largest and most international sociolegal association in the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Cambridge University PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge University Press publishes Law & Society Review on behalf of the Law and Society Association. The journal is published in four issues per volume each year.
• Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner association for LSA's Global Meetings on Law and Society
• Asian Law and Society AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner association for LSA's Global Meetings on Law and Society
• African Law and Society NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner association for LSA's Global Meetings on Law and Society
• Socio-Legal Studies AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based partner association for LSA's Global Meetings
• Canadian Law and Society AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner association for LSA's Global Meetings on Law and Society
• Japanese Association of the Sociology of LawmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner association for LSA's Global Meetings on Law and Society
• Law and Society Association of Australia and New ZealandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner association for LSA's Global Meetings on Law and Society
• University of Massachusetts AmherstcoreOthersLSA headquarters is housed at UMass Amherst within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• ISCTE University Institute of LisbonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for LSA's 2022 Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Japanese Association of the Sociology of Law: Regional partner association for LSA's Global Meetings, supporting sociolegal scholarship in Japan and serving an overlapping international member base.
• American Bar Foundation: Independent U.S. research organization conducting empirical research on law, legal institutions, and the legal profession. Shares LSA's academic research mission and houses sociolegal scholars (including LSR's editor Rebecca Sandefur).
• African Law and Society Network: Regional partner association for LSA's Global Meetings, supporting sociolegal scholarship in Africa and serving an overlapping international member base.
• Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL): International Sociological Association's committee on the sociology of law. Co-organizes LSA's Global Meetings and serves the same global sociolegal research community with overlapping journals and conferences.
• Asian Law and Society Association: Regional partner association for LSA's Global Meetings, supporting sociolegal scholarship across Asia and competing for the same global scholar pool.
• Canadian Law and Society Association: Regional partner association for LSA's Global Meetings, addressing sociolegal scholarship in Canada with a similar annual conference and membership structure.
• Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA): UK-based scholarly association for sociolegal studies and LSA's Global Meetings partner. Closely comparable mission, annual conferences, and journal activities serving the same interdisciplinary audience on a national scale.
• Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand (LSAANZ): Regional partner association for LSA's Global Meetings, serving sociolegal scholars in Australia and New Zealand with parallel annual conferences and member-driven activities.

Broad incumbents

• American Sociological Association (ASA): U.S. association for the broader discipline of sociology. Hosts law-and-society sections that overlap with LSA's audience, but at a parent-discipline level rather than sociolegal specialty.
• Association of American Law Schools (AALS): Established U.S. association of law schools and faculty. Overlaps with LSA's faculty membership but focuses on legal education broadly rather than sociolegal research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/law_soc
• Facebookfacebook.com/LawAndSocietyAssociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Law and Society Association