This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Association of American Law Schools, founded in 1900 during a period of rapid change in US legal education. This milestone anniversary provided AALS with an opportunity to reflect on our origins, map our evolution, take stock of the present day, and imagine the future of the association.
Inside The First 125 Years
- CHAPTER 1 Founding the AALS
- CHAPTER 2 Coming of Age 1906-1960
- CHAPTER 3 A Turning Point 1961-1971
- CHAPTER 4 Embracing Diversity
- CHAPTER 5 Sections
- CHAPTER 6 The Second Century
The First 125 Years: An Illustrated History of the Association of American Law Schools chronicles the development of AALS from the moment of its creation through today. It traces the growing number of AALS member schools; profiles the breadth of AALS contributions to scholarship, teaching, and law school curricula; and describes how AALS grew from a “good old boys’ network” to a democratized organization that not only embodies but champions core values of excellence, integrity, diversity of viewpoints, and devotion to justice and public service.
Led by former AALS Executive Director Judy Areen with co-author Jean Waterman, The First 125 Years is the first detailed history of the association and features archival photos from many of our member schools. Work on the book began in 2023 as a way to commemorate the upcoming anniversary, and it was published in late 2024. Complete photo credits are available here.
Order a Commemorative Copy
To order a copy of The First 125 Years, submit the form below. A limited number of coffee table-style books are available for $25 per copy.