Knowledge powers the pursuit of justice.
- News
July 22, 2026
The American Bar Foundation (ABF) has named Laura Beth Nielsen as its eleventh Executive Director, succeeding Interim Executive Director and ABF Affiliated Research Professor Bryant Garth. She will assume the role September 1 and will be the first woman to lead the organization as it approaches its milestone seventy-fifth anniversary. Nielsen has been a 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
The ABF Welcomes Shaun Ossei-Owusu as the 2026–27 William H. Neukom Fellows Research Chair in Diversity and Law
September 14, 2026
Shaun Ossei-Owusu has been named the William H. Neukom Fellows Research Chair in Diversity and Law for the 2026–27 academic year. Ossei-Owusu is a Presidential Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he teaches courses on criminal law, the legal profession, antidiscrimination law, the… Read More
- News
The ABF Welcomes Michael H. Byowitz as President of the Board of Directors
September 14, 2026
From top left, clockwise: Michael H. Byowitz, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; Lauren Robel, Maurer School of Law; Jo Ann Engelhardt, Bessemer Trust; and Ellen M. Jakovic, Kirkland and Ellis The American Bar Foundation (ABF) welcomes Michael H. Byowitz as the new president of the ABF’s… Read More
- Fellows
- News
Fellows CLE Explores the Lasting Consequences of Mass Incarceration
August 12, 2026
From left to right, Calvin Duncan, founder and director of Light of Justice; ABF Research Professor Reuben Jonathan Miller; and National Fellows Chair Jennifer L. Parent The ABF Fellows CLE Program, held July 31 during the 2026 ABA Annual Conference, examined the lasting consequences of mass incarceration and… Read More
Featured Events
September 16, 2026
Sociology and Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Learning Interpretive Terrains: Legal Aid Workers and their Strategies to Mitigate Punishment
Hybrid: Virtual/In-Person
(ABF Offices, 750 N Lake Shore Drive, 4th Floor Chicago, IL)
Upcoming Events
More
Sociology and Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Learning Interpretive Terrains: Legal Aid Workers and their Strategies to Mitigate Punishment
Hybrid: Virtual/In-Person
(ABF Offices, 750 N Lake Shore Drive, 4th Floor Chicago, IL)
Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Racial Justice as Transitional Justice: Human Rights and Public Support for Police Reform in the United States
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
The "Paradox of Procedure": Why More Rules Might Reduce Access to Justice—And How Market Tools Can Help