About ASCL
ASCL in Brief
The American Society of Comparative Law, Inc. (ASCL) is the leading organization promoting the study of comparative law. Founded in 1951, it is a thriving organization of about 100 institutional sponsor members, both in the United States and abroad, and a growing number of individual members. It is a member in good standing of the American Council of Learned Societies and International Association of Legal Science.
What ASCL Offers
The Society publishes The American Journal of Comparative Law, the outstanding publication of scholarship on comparative law. The ASCL also publishes a comparative law book series. It holds annual meetings at which comparative law scholars present research and critically examine important legal issues from a comparative perspective. In addition, it provides support to and organizes other scholarly conferences and workshops both in the United States and internationally that deal with comparative law. Each year, the Society’s prizes recognize exceptional publications and other contributions by comparative law scholars. The Society also promotes the exchange of information and opinion among students of comparative law through its website and on social media, and provides networking opportunities to young and established comparative law scholars.
Formal Definition
In more formal terms, The American Society of Comparative Law, Inc. (originally incorporated as the American Association for the Comparative Study of Law, Inc.), is an organization of institutional and individual members devoted to research and writing on foreign and comparative law as well as private international law.
ASCL’s Purposes
The ASCL’s purposes, as set forth in 1951 in its original certificate of incorporation, are “to promote the comparative study of law and the understanding of foreign legal systems; to establish, maintain and publish without a profit a comparative law journal; and to provide for research and the publication without profit of writings, books, papers and pamphlets relating to comparative, foreign or private international law.” A nonprofit corporation, the ASCL welcomes gifts for any of its purposes, including support of The American Journal of Comparative Law.
Association with the International Academy of Comparative Law
The American Society of Comparative Law is associated with the International Academy of Comparative Law and participates in the Academy’s quadrennial Congresses bringing together experts in comparative law from around the world. The Eighteenth Congress was held in Washington, D.C. in 2010 and the Society played a key leadership role in its organization. Most recently, the ASCL held its 2018 business meeting in conjunction with the XXth International IACL Congress in Fukuoka, Japan. The 2022 business meeting of the Society will be held in conjunction with the XXIst International IACL Congress in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Welcome to the ASCL!
Equal Opportunity
The American Society of Comparative Law is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.