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The American Society of International Law (ASIL) is a US-based membership organization for the study of international law, and the publisher-side home of the American Journal of International Law (AJIL). This page tells a researcher what ASIL produces, which outputs serve which task, and which parts the organizations themselves describe as free or members-only. Facts below come from ASIL’s and Cambridge University Press’s own pages, read 8 November 2026.
What is the American Society of International Law?
ASIL describes itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization. It was founded in 1906, was chartered by the US Congress in 1950, and has its headquarters at Tillar House in Washington, DC. Its stated mission is to foster the study of international law.
Who runs it and what it covers
ASIL says its members come from more than 100 nations and include attorneys, academics, corporate counsel, judges, government and NGO representatives, international civil servants and students. Its two flagship publications are the American Journal of International Law and International Legal Materials (ILM). Beyond publications, ASIL’s site lists events, a podcast, a member directory, interest groups and chapters.
AJIL, AJIL Unbound and ILM compared
| Output | What the official pages say it is | Access as stated |
|---|---|---|
| American Journal of International Law (AJIL) | Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of ASIL; quarterly since 1907; covers developments in public and private international law and foreign relations law. Article types include articles, essays, editorial comments, current developments, book reviews, analyses of court and tribunal decisions, and contemporary US practice. ISSN 0002-9300 (print), 2161-7953 (online). | ASIL members reach the full archive by logging in through the ASIL site; non-members use a personal or institutional login or subscribe, per Cambridge. |
| AJIL Unbound | Short online essays from AJIL. ISSN 2398-7723. | Cambridge states it is freely available to all on publication. |
| International Legal Materials (ILM) | A flagship ASIL publication; ASIL’s resources page also lists International Law in Brief, with updates from ILM editors. | ASIL labels its Publications section “ASIL Members Only”. |
Which ASIL resource fits which task
ASIL’s resources page describes the following items. It does not state access terms for items other than Publications, so check each item’s page before planning to cite it.
- Quick background on a topic: Insights, described as concise, objective and timely background.
- Current developments: International Law in Brief, with updates from ILM editors, and the podcast International Law Behind the Headlines.
- International arbitration and conciliation: the Holtzmann Research Center, described as a forum for that field.
- International law in US courts: the Benchbook on International Law, an introduction to international law in US courts aimed mainly at US District Judges.
- Teaching and orientation: International Law: 100 Ways and a High School Curriculum.
The resources menu also lists AJIL Unbound, International Legal Theory Studies, Annual Meeting Proceedings, the Newsletter and the IHL Roundtable.
How to find and use it
- Go to asil.org and open the Resources menu to see the publication and research items listed above.
- For journal articles, open the AJIL page on Cambridge Core, which lists the journal’s issues and article types.
- Members sign in with the Login link in the site header; the Join and Membership links lead to the “Join ASIL” form.
- If you only need short commentary, start with AJIL Unbound, which Cambridge describes as free to read.
- Cite AJIL articles in the citation style your target venue requires; for US legal citation see the Bluebook guidance linked below.
Strengths and limits
- Strength: a single society that publishes both scholarship (AJIL) and primary-document compilations (ILM), per ASIL’s about page.
- Strength: AJIL Unbound gives a free entry point, per Cambridge.
- Limit: the full AJIL archive and the Publications section are described as member or subscriber access, so non-members depend on an institutional subscription or a personal login.
- Limit: ASIL’s resources page does not state access terms for most items, so free access cannot be assumed.
Related pages on CASRAI
| If you need | See |
|---|---|
| Another scholarly society in law | Law and Society Association |
| Rankings of law reviews | Law review rankings |
| Bluebook abbreviations for citing journals | Bluebook abbreviations |
| Bluebook form for statutes | Bluebook statute citation |
| Overview of citation styles | Citation styles and referencing formats |
More on scholarly societies and journals sits in the publishing cluster.
FAQ
What is the American Society of International Law?
A nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization founded in 1906 and chartered by Congress in 1950, with a mission to foster the study of international law (ASIL, about page, read 2026-11-08).
Does ASIL publish the American Journal of International Law?
Yes. Cambridge University Press publishes AJIL on behalf of ASIL; it has appeared quarterly since 1907.
Is AJIL free to read?
Not in full. Cambridge says members log in through the ASIL site for the full archive and non-members use a personal or institutional login or subscribe. AJIL Unbound, the short online essays, is stated to be freely available.
Where is the sign-in?
ASIL’s site has a Login link in the header; Join and Membership links lead to the “Join ASIL” form.
Sources
- ASIL, About: https://www.asil.org/about (read 2026-11-08)
- ASIL, Resources: https://www.asil.org/resources (read 2026-11-08)
- Cambridge Core, American Journal of International Law: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-journal-of-international-law (read 2026-11-08)
