The American Society for Legal History
THE ENDOWMENT CAMPAIGN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SOCIETY

November 26, 2006

The American Society for Legal History was founded in 1956, and since then its membership has grown substantially while our field has flourished in the world of scholarship. The ASLH is now recognized as one of the most important scholarly groups in the fields of historical and legal research. It is respected at home and abroad, and our annual meetings' programs, our book series Studies in Legal History, and our journal Law and History Review have all set high standards of excellence. The journal and the series are widely recognized as among the best places to publish in our field; and the annual meetings are very pleasant occasions that bring together legal historians from all disciplines to exchange ideas and to learn about the latest advances in this growing field of research and teaching.

The Society has launched an endowment campaign that we hope will ensure that we have the capacity to sustain current programs but also to respond to new opportunities in publishing and other scholarly activities. We urgently invite all ASLH members to participate, and we welcome tax-deductible contributions to this important campaign from foundations, individuals, law firms, and companies. More than $500,000 has been pledged or paid by members, many of whom have contributed in the $2,500 to $25,000 range. Every contribution is of importance, at whatever level, and we welcome gifts at all levels. Our goal is to have the $500,000 in hand by the end of the campaign, in 2009.

This goal includes mainly permanent endowment, but also we are hoping for bequests and "term endowment" gifts that might be earmarked for expenditure over a specified period. We are concerned primarily with securing the future of our superb book series and the equally prominent Law and History Review, but we also seek to ensure proper support for conferences, to institute modest grants for travel or other research needs for younger scholars, and to recognize research accomplishments in our field.

Please consider joining our donors list and contributing to this important effort for the support of scholarship and teaching in legal history. For your convenience, please print out and mail or e-mail the attached contribution form. For instructions on contributions of securities, please click here. Thank you very much for considering this appeal, and for your valued support.

Charles Donahue, Jr.
President

Maeva Marcus
President-elect

Sarah Barringer Gordon
Chair, Finance Committee and
Past Chair, "Future of the Society" Committee

ASLH Office Address:
William P. LaPiana
Rita and Joseph Solomon Professor of Wills Trusts and Estates
Secretary/Treasurer, American Society for Legal History
New York Law School
57 Worth St.
New York, New York 10013
wlapiana@nyls.edu
Fax: 212 431-1830