What is Legal History?

Legal history is more lively and interesting than you might think. It encompasses much of human endeavor over time, including the organization and distribution of power in societies, control of violence, rights and property, the protection of  vulnerable groups, including women, migrants, racial and religious minorities, women, and more. And the American Society for Legal history is both international and interdisciplinary, meaning that there are many different perspectives on how we approach the history of law. Our members include law professors, historians, judges, practicing lawyers, and other interested people.

The ASLH is dedicated to the support and expansion of the field, especially through its programs for those entering the field. The Society sponsors a quarterly journal, Law and History Review, and a book series, Studies in Legal History, both of which are published for the Society by Cambridge University Press. We also run several programs designed to nurture the work of younger scholars, including a two-week summer institute and a first book program, among others. The ASLH holds its Annual Meeting each fall. The meeting is an opportunity for legal historians from around the world to gather and discuss their scholarship. At the meeting, the Society confers a number of prizes, research grants, and awards to recognize the best recent scholarship in the field and to encourage talented early career scholars.

We encourage any and all inquiries about our field and the Society.