The Association of American Law Schools recently released “The First 125 Years,” an illustrated history of the AALS, documenting the early traditions and motivations, which were rooted in the importance of the rule of law.
AALS was founded in 1900 in Saratoga Springs, New York, kicking off what would become an annual tradition of meeting in person. “Law professors and deans traveled that August, and then the next year in 1901, and so forth,” said book co-author Judy Areen, who served as executive director of AALS from 2014 to 2024. Areen spoke to Law.com last year, prior to retiring, about the “first-ever published history of the association,” which took approximately two years to put together, with the help of co-author Jean Waterman, a freelance writer.