Knowledge powers the pursuit of justice.
- Fellows
- News
July 18, 2025
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
Northwestern Student Ming-hsi Chu Wins Law & Social Inquiry’s Graduate Student Paper Competition
July 9, 2025
Taken by Cookie Tsai The American Bar Foundation (ABF) is delighted to announce that Ming-hsi Chu, a PhD candidate in the Department of History at Northwestern University, has won the 2025 Graduate Student Paper Competition from Law & Social Inquiry (LSI) for his article… Read More
- News
The ABF Welcomes the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows
June 2, 2025
The American Bar Foundation (ABF) has chosen five outstanding undergraduate students from across the nation to take part in the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. These young scholars were selected from… Read More
- News
ABF Scholars to Present Research at the 2025 Law and Society Association Annual Meeting
May 9, 2025
The Law and Society Assocation Annual Meeting presents an unparalleled opportunity for sociolegal scholars to connect and exchange ideas across many disciplines and academic backgrounds. This year’s Annual Meeting, to be held in Chicago, Illinois May 22-25, will feature presentations from over fifty current and former… Read More
Featured Events
September 17, 2025
Sociology and Law, The University of Tennessee Knoxville
More information coming soon!
Hybrid: Virtual/In-Person
(ABF Offices, 750 N Lake Shore Drive, 4th Floor Chicago, IL)
Upcoming Events
More
Criminal Justice and Criminology, Loyola University Chicago
More information coming soon!
Hybrid: Virtual/In-Person
(ABF Offices, 750 N Lake Shore Drive, 4th Floor Chicago, IL)
Sociology and Law, The University of Tennessee Knoxville
More information coming soon!
Hybrid: Virtual/In-Person
(ABF Offices, 750 N Lake Shore Drive, 4th Floor Chicago, IL)
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.