American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA)

What American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) does

The American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, operating as the U.S. national branch of the broader International Law Association, which spans 67 national branches. ABILA serves a member constituency of international law practitioners, academics, judges, and students, advancing the study, development, and application of international law through programming, publications, and committee-driven research. The organization operates with a small staff of 17 employees and is governed by elected leadership, currently under President Michael P. Scharf and Chair Leila Nadya Sadat.

ABILA's core product surface is built around convening and knowledge dissemination rather than technology. Offerings include the annual International Law Weekend (drawing 1,200+ attendees), regional International Law Weekends, biennial ILA conferences co-hosted with international counterparts, webinars, a newsletter, an academic proceedings publication, a podcast, 23 substantive committees covering topics such as Crimes Against Humanity, Global Health Law, and Gender Justice, an awards program, and a multi-tier membership program. There is no proprietary software platform, technology stack, or AI infrastructure described; delivery is event-based, publication-based, and committee-based.

The business model is a classic professional association revenue stack. Income is generated from membership dues on a tiered structure ranging from $0 (student) through $70–$125 (regular), $200 (sustaining), $500 (corporate), up to $5,000 (lifetime patron); event registration fees; institutional and corporate sponsorships; and tax-deductible contributions. No externally disclosed financial statements or audited revenue figures are publicly available. Distribution is via direct membership recruitment, law school partnerships, institutional collaborations (e.g., Robert H. Jackson Center, Case Western Reserve University), and conference attendance.

Name

American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA)

Legal name

American Branch of the International Law Association

Website

https://ila-americanbranch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ABILA is a New York-based non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1922 that serves as the U.S. branch of the International Law Association, providing conferences, committees, publications, and networking for international law practitioners, academics, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance Conferences (MPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• International law membership
• Legal professional association
• International law conferences
• Legal scholarship committees
• International law publications

Headquarters

HQ city

New York City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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: Annual membership dues from individual members (ranging from free for students to $5,000 for lifetime Patrons), organizational members, and corporate members. Dues are collected on a calendar-year basis.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from International Law Weekend and regional events. The organization offers low admission prices to members and cosponsoring organizations, with free admission for students.
3. Conference Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from law firms, universities, and practitioners for International Law Weekend events. Sponsors receive recognition at various levels (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver).
4. Tax-Deductible Contributions: The American Branch welcomes tax-deductible charitable contributions that support the organization's mission and activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ABILA operates as a professional membership organization for the international law community, providing tiered individual, organizational, and corporate memberships that grant access to flagship conferences (International Law Weekend in New York City, regional International Law Weekends, and biennial ILA conferences), 23 specialized committees producing reports and advocacy, a monthly podcast, webinars with CLE credit, biennial Proceedings, and regular newsletters. Members also gain connection to the broader 67-branch International Law Association for committee appointments and global networking.

Product overview

ABILA is a professional membership organization offering a unified portfolio of programs and services centered on advancing international law. The core offering consists of educational conferences (International Law Weekend, Regional ILWs, and Biennial ILA Conferences), publications (Newsletters and Proceedings), and professional development through 23 specialized committees. Additional services include webinars with CLE credit, the International Law Chats podcast, awards programs recognizing outstanding contributions to international law, and tiered membership providing access to all programs and international ILA membership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Law Weekend (ILW) Annual flagship conference held each October in New York City featuring over 30 panels with leading international lawyers and diplomats, keynote luncheons, and gala receptions hosted by UN missions; designed for international law practitioners, academics, students, government officials, and NGO representatives.
• Regional International Law Weekends Regional conferences including ILW-Midwest, ILW-West, and ILW-South held at various U.S. law schools (Case Western Reserve, UCLA, BYU, Texas A&M, University of Georgia) covering specific themes in international law.
• Biennial ILA Conferences Major international conferences hosted by different national branches every two years, bringing together leading international lawyers, academics, and government officials from around the world.
• Webinars Online educational programs covering current international law topics with CLE credit available for live attendees, featuring expert panels and discussions.
• ABILA Newsletters Periodic publications distributed to thousands of members featuring Branch news, accomplishments, committee updates, and professional announcements.
• Proceedings Biennial publications since 1922 containing committee reports, conference summaries, and keynote addresses from International Law Weekends; archives available through HeinOnline.
• International Law Chats Podcast Monthly podcast hosted by ABILA featuring prominent guests in international law, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
• ABILA Committees Program Twenty-three specialized committees covering areas such as International Arbitration, Human Rights Law, International Criminal Court, Environmental Law, and Space Law that produce reports, amicus briefs, and advocacy position papers.
• ABILA Awards Program Annual awards including Outstanding Achievement Award, Charles Siegal Distinguished Service Award, Book of the Year Award, Practitioners Book Award, New Authors Book Award, and Edited Volume Award recognizing contributions to international law.
• Membership Program Tiered membership including Student (free), New Member, Regular ($125), Sustaining ($200), Organization ($175), Corporate ($500), and Patron lifetime ($5,000) memberships, providing access to conferences, committees, publications, and international ILA membership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 attendees at recent International Law Weekend conferences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 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 minor.

• Case Western Reserve University School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCase Western Reserve University School of Law's Frederick K. Cox International Law Center co-presents the annual International Law Weekend-Midwest conference and hosts the ABILA mailing address. The partnership includes collaboration on the Legacy of Nuremberg conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg Judgment.
• UCLA School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA College of Law hosts the International Law Weekend-West conference annually. The conference is sponsored by the UCLA Journal of International and Foreign Affairs, which publishes a collection of essays from the conference.
• University of Georgia School of Law (Dean Rusk International Law Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dean Rusk International Law Center at University of Georgia School of Law cooperates with ABILA to host International Law Weekend-South conferences.
• Texas A&M University School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas A&M University School of Law cooperated with ABILA to host ILW-South 2017 conference on 'The Global Future of International Trade, Human Rights, and Development'.
• Brigham Young University Law SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrigham Young University Law School hosted ILW-West 2016 with the theme 'International Law in a Divided World'.
• American Society of International Law (ASIL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASIL co-sponsored ILW-West 2016 and co-presented the 76th ILA Biennial Conference in Washington, D.C. in 2014 with ABILA. Joint Program Committee organized the combined event.
• United Nations Missions (Finland, Belgium, UK, Canada, France, Singapore)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious UN missions host gala receptions at International Law Weekend events, providing networking opportunities for attendees with diplomats and international organization representatives.
• International Law Association (ILA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABILA is the American Branch of the ILA, established in 1873. ABILA nominates members to participate on ILA committees and study groups at the international level. The ILA is composed of 67 national branches.
• Robert H. Jackson CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Robert H. Jackson Center co-presents the International Law Weekend-Midwest 2026 conference on the Legacy of Nuremberg alongside Case Western Reserve and ABILA.
• International Law Weekend 2025 Sponsors (Diamond Level)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond level sponsors include BakerHostetler, Just Security, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. These sponsors support ILW through financial contributions and receive prominent recognition.

Scale indicators6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Bar Association (IBA): IBA is a large, globally focused bar association with conferences, committees, and publications in international law. It is broader in scope than ABILA but serves an overlapping audience of practitioners and academics and competes for global conference attendance.
• American Bar Association (ABA) Section of International Law: The ABA's international law section serves U.S. attorneys with international practices via committees, publications, and CLE programming. It is a larger incumbent with overlapping practitioner audience and conference programming.
• American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on International Legal Exchange: AALS is the principal U.S. association of law schools, with sections and programs that touch on international legal education. It overlaps with ABILA's academic audience and co-presents at some academic events.

Direct peers

• American Society of International Law (ASIL): ASIL is the leading U.S.-based membership organization for international law professionals, offering conferences, publications (American Journal of International Law), and committees. It directly overlaps with ABILA's practitioner and academic audience and has co-sponsored ABILA events.
• International Law Association (ILA): ILA is the parent global organization of which ABILA is the American branch. With 67 national branches, biennial conferences, and international committees, ILA is the most directly comparable peer and the umbrella under which ABILA operates.
• International Association of Law Schools (IALS): IALS is a membership association of law schools worldwide focused on international legal education and exchange. It directly compares to ABILA's academic and institutional member base in the international-law scholarly community.

Emerging players

• International Law Students Association (ILSA): ILSA supports international law students via moot court competitions, conferences, and publications. It is a comparable peer at the student-segment level, overlapping with ABILA's free student membership program.

Regional players

• Canadian Council on International Law (CCIL): CCIL is a Canada-based membership organization for international law with an annual conference and journal. Comparable to ABILA's national-branch model but serving Canadian practitioners and academics.
• European Society of International Law (ESIL): ESIL is the principal European membership society for international law, with conferences, interest groups, and publications. It is a comparable peer to ABILA's scholarly mission but operates in Europe rather than the U.S.
• Asian Society of International Law (AsianSIL): AsianSIL is a regional membership society for international law in Asia, with biennial conferences and working groups. Comparable in mission to ABILA but focused on Asian jurisdictions and institutions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ABILA_official
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@abila34/podcasts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-branch-of-the-international-law-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA)