About the ASPLP
The American Society for Political and Legal Philosophy was begun in 1955 by Carl Friedrich to bring together a group of political scientists, philosophers and law scholars interested in exploring legal and political philosophy outside of their home disciplines. The main activity of the society is its annual meeting held on a topic chosen in advance by the ASPLP membership, at which three papers—one from each of the participating disciplines—are presented. The society publishes these papers, along with formal commentary and invited additional essays, in NOMOS, its annual yearbook. The ASPLP leadership has included some of the most distinguished and accomplished scholars in political and legal philosophy including John Rawls, Lon Fuller and Judith Shklar.
The ASPLP is governed by a president, elected by the members, from one of the three disciplines represented in the Society, and by two vice presidents chosen to represent the other two disciplines. These officers serve three-year terms.
Past Officers
Past Presidents
Carl J. Friedrich
Charles M. Hendel
Lon L. Fuller
Frederick Watkins
Richard B. Brandt
Jerome Hall
J. Roland Pennock
John Rawls
Graham Hughes
Sheldon Wolin
John Ladd
Paul A. Freund
Judith N. Shklar
Alan Gewirth
Louis Henkin
Dennis F. Thompson
Joel Feinberg
Kent Greenawalt
Michael Walzer
Martha Nussbaum
Frank Michelman
Amy Gutmann
Will Kymlicka
Donald Horowitz
Past Vice-Presidents
Richard Flathman & David Lyons
Hugo Bedau & Owen Fiss
David Richards & George Armstrong Kelley
Patrick Riley & Thomas Scanlon
Margaret Jane Radin & David Sidorsky
Thomas Grey & Amy Gutmann
Jennifer Hochschild & Gerald Postema
Jean Hampton & Frank Michelman
Frederick Schauer & Jean Bethke Elshtain
James Fishkin & A. John Simmons
Sanford Levinson & Susan Wolf
William Galston & Donald Horowitz
Nancy Rosenblum & Debra Satz
Past Editors of NOMOS
Carl Freidrich
J. Roland Pennock
John Chapman
Ian Shapiro
Stephen Macedo
Melissa Williams
Sanford Levinson
James Fleming
