American Society of Comparative Law
The American Society of Comparative Law is a U.S. learned society devoted to comparative law, foreign law, and private international law.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The American Society of Comparative Law (ASCL) is a United States learned society focused on the study and development of comparative law, foreign law, and private international law. Comparative law examines legal systems across jurisdictions, while foreign-law and private-international-law research addresses the interpretation of legal rules and relationships that cross national boundaries. The society provides an institutional setting for scholars and other members of the legal academic community whose work engages with these fields. The organization was established in 1951 under the name American Association for the Comparative Study of Law. It later adopted its current name, reflecting its broader identity as a national scholarly society. The ASCL was admitted to the American Council of Learned Societies in 1995, an affiliation that places it within the U.S. learned-society infrastructure and recognizes its role in supporting research and scholarship. It is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The society's principal publishing activity is the American Journal of Comparative Law, a quarterly academic journal. The journal was founded in 1952 at the University of Michigan Law School, where Hessel E. Yntema was a professor. Yntema served as the publication's first editor-in-chief and remained in that position until his death in 1966. The journal subsequently moved from Michigan to the University of California, Berkeley, in 1971, before returning to the University of Michigan in 2003. Its institutional history reflects the close relationship between the ASCL and U.S. law schools, as well as the importance of university-based scholarship to the comparative-law field. ASCL is best understood as a scholarly and professional association rather than a consumer-facing brand. Its activities center on research, academic publishing, professional exchange, and the advancement of comparative legal study. The society's work is relevant to legal academics, researchers, practitioners, and institutions interested in how legal systems differ, interact, and evolve. Available reference material does not identify a commercial product portfolio, corporate parent, public listing, or a specific headquarters location. Its primary identifiable offering is the American Journal of Comparative Law, supported by the society's broader role as a learned organization.
History
The American Society of Comparative Law was founded in 1951 as the American Association for the Comparative Study of Law. Its creation reflected the institutionalization of comparative legal scholarship in the United States and the growing importance of studying legal systems in relation to one another. The society's subject area encompasses comparative law, foreign law, and private international law, fields that examine differences among legal orders and the legal consequences of cross-border relationships. In 1952, the organization established the American Journal of Comparative Law at the University of Michigan Law School. The journal became the society's principal identifiable publishing activity and provided a recurring academic forum for research on comparative and transnational legal questions. Hessel E. Yntema, a professor at Michigan, was the journal's first editor-in-chief. He continued in that role until his death in 1966, giving the publication an extended period of editorial continuity during its formative years. The journal's institutional base changed in 1971, when it moved from the University of Michigan to the University of California, Berkeley. This transfer connected the publication with another major U.S. law-school environment and continued its development as a national scholarly journal rather than a publication tied permanently to its original host institution. In 2003, the journal returned to the University of Michigan, restoring its connection with the institution at which it had been founded. The society later adopted the name American Society of Comparative Law, replacing its earlier association name and presenting itself more directly as a learned society for the field. In 1995, it was admitted to the American Council of Learned Societies. That affiliation marked an important institutional recognition of the society's scholarly role. The ASCL is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, distinguishing it from a commercial company and reflecting its educational and scholarly purpose. Today, the ASCL's identifiable role is that of a professional and academic association supporting comparative-law research and communication. Its activities are centered on the scholarly community and on the American Journal of Comparative Law, which is published quarterly. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of membership programs, conferences, current officers, headquarters, or other operational details. Accordingly, those aspects are not specified here. The documented institutional history nonetheless shows a society that has connected U.S. law schools, comparative-law scholarship, and an established academic journal over several decades.
- 2003
Journal returns to the University of Michigan
[1]After more than three decades at Berkeley, the journal returned to the University of Michigan.
- 1995
Admission to the American Council of Learned Societies
[1]The ASCL was admitted to the American Council of Learned Societies.
- 1971
Journal moves to the University of California, Berkeley
[1]The American Journal of Comparative Law moved from the University of Michigan to the University of California, Berkeley.
- 1966
End of Hessel E. Yntema's editorship
[1]Hessel E. Yntema's tenure as the journal's first editor-in-chief ended with his death.
- 1952
American Journal of Comparative Law established
[1]The society established its quarterly journal at the University of Michigan Law School, with Hessel E. Yntema as its first editor-in-chief.
- 1951
Society founded
[1]The organization was founded as the American Association for the Comparative Study of Law.
Products and positioning
A U.S.-based learned society serving the comparative-law community through scholarly association and publication, with particular emphasis on comparative law, foreign law, and private international law.
Academic journal · 1952
American Journal of Comparative Law
A quarterly scholarly journal associated with the American Society of Comparative Law. It publishes research concerning comparative law and related areas of foreign and transnational legal study. The journal was established in 1952 at the University of Michigan Law School, later moved to the University of California, Berkeley, in 1971, and returned to Michigan in 2003. Hessel E. Yntema was its first editor-in-chief and served until 1966.
Brand decisions
2003
Return of the journal to the University of MichiganStrategyBackground
The American Journal of Comparative Law had been based at the University of California, Berkeley, since 1971.
Action taken
The journal returned to the University of Michigan, its original institutional home.
Aftermath
The move restored the journal's association with the law school where it had been founded.
1971
Transfer of the journal to the University of California, BerkeleyStrategyBackground
The American Journal of Comparative Law had been established at the University of Michigan Law School in 1952.
Action taken
The journal's institutional base was moved from Michigan to the University of California, Berkeley.
Aftermath
The journal remained at Berkeley until its return to the University of Michigan in 2003.
Sources2 sources
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