The AALS is a non-profit educational association of 176 law schools representing over 10,000 law faculty in the United States. The purpose of the Association is "the improvement of the legal profession through legal education." This goal is furthered in a number of ways, including professional development programs for law professors and administrators, a complement of over 90 sections organized by faculty and senior administrators, and a membership process that is designed to further the core values of the Association. The AALS serves as the academic society for law teachers with an Annual Meeting that constitutes the largest gathering of law faculty in the world. The AALS is legal education's principal representative to the federal government and to other national higher education organizations and learned societies. The AALS also encourages collaboration with law professors on a global level, and has provided seed funding and staff support for the International Association of Law Schools, an independent organization created with the help and encouragement of the AALS.
