Knowledge powers the pursuit of justice.
- News
August 12, 2025
The American Bar Foundation (ABF) has appointed Natacha Nsabimana and Alana Ackerman, both scholars in anthropology, to join its community as Research Professors beginning fall 2025. These scholars will join a robust community of researchers advancing understandings of law and society through empirical and interdisciplinary research. … Read More
American Bar Foundation
We conduct research that explores the intersection of
law and society—to expand knowledge and advance justice.
Our groundbreaking research is used to:
Spark conversations
about the world's
most pressing issues
most pressing issues
Shape law and policy
by informing lawmakers,
practitioners, and the judiciary
practitioners, and the judiciary
Influence societies
in the U.S. and
across the world
across the world
Featured Research
In the News
- News
Mason Ji Elected to ABF Board of Directors Alongside New Ex Officio Members
September 12, 2025
From left to right, Mason Ji, Perkins Coie; Zachary Clopton, Northwestern Pritzker; Howard T. Wall III, Epstein Becker Green; Barbara J. Howard, Barbara J. Howard Law The American Bar Foundation (ABF) welcomes Seattle-based litigator Mason Ji to its Board of Directors following his election at… Read More
- Fellows
- News
New Fellows Officers Take Their Seats on the ABF Board of Directors
September 12, 2025
From left to right, Jennifer L. Parent, McLane Middleton; Mario Barnes, UCI Law; Michael Hernandez, Franczek PC; and Frank X. Neuner, Jr., NeunerPate. The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation (ABF) have announced their officers for the 2025–26 fiscal year. The Fellows is an honorary society of attorneys,… Read More
- News
The ABF Announces 2025-26 Visiting Scholars
September 2, 2025
The American Bar Foundation is pleased to welcome seven Visiting Scholars to the ABF research community. The scholars of the 2025-26 cohort are: Portia Jin Xiong, Rashmee Singh, William Darwall, Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, Joachim Savelsberg, Kasey Henricks, and Katheryn Birks Harvey. The ABF’s Visiting Scholar Program invites scholars from… Read More
Featured Events
October 29, 2025
Law, University of Southern California
Abortion and American Exceptionalism
Hybrid: Virtual/In-Person
(ABF Offices, 750 N Lake Shore Drive, 4th Floor Chicago, IL)
Upcoming Events
More
ABF/Northwestern Doctoral Fellow in Law and Social Science, ABF/UChicago Doctoral Fellow in Law and Social Science
New 2025 ABF Doctoral Fellows
Hybrid: Virtual/In-Person
Featured Researcher
Stephen Daniels
ABF Research Professor Emeritus
Stephen Daniels is a Research Professor Emeritus at the American Bar Foundation. His ABF research project, Alternative Legal Professionals, examines legal technician programs, which license non-lawyers to practice certain aspects of law in a limited capacity with the goal of expanding access to legal services at a more affordable cost. In this feature, Daniels discusses how this concept emerged, spread, and continues to evolve across multiple states.
- Podcasts
Episode 8: Season One Finale: When Law Meets Society
The season finale of Season 1 of Whose Law is it Anyway explores the impact of ABF's research with former Executive Director, Ajay K. Mehrotra.
- Videos
Shaping the Future of Sociolegal Research: ABF Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships
Watch to learn more about the ABF Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships.