The Association of Young Legal Historians (AYLH) was founded by 56 young legal historians from over 20 nations in Seville on 8 September 2007. Its main purposes are the organisation of the annual conference "European Forum of Young Legal Historians", the publication of the "Yearbook of Young Legal History" and the facilitation of communication within the scientific community between the annual conferences.
The "European Forum of Young Legal Historians" had grown into the leading conference for up-and-coming legal historians. Its origins were two international meetings in Frankfurt am Main in the early 1990s. The 1999 Zürich meeting marked the break-through towards a truly European event. More than a hundred participants from Europe and beyond came together to attend presentations in the German, English, French and Italian languages. Since then, young researchers from countries which had not been reached before visited the conference in increasing numbers.
The notion of "young" legal historians is understood in a broad sense. The "European Forum of Young Legal Historians" is primarily designed to give all those a chance to present the results of their studies who would not otherwise have the opportunity to do so. As the academic hierarchicies tend to affect the free expression of younger researchers, professors holding a chair in legal history are, as a general rule, excluded from participation to the conference. Similarly, professors and organisations who wish to support the objectives of the society may not vote in the general assembly of the AYLH.
Another special feature of the AYLH is the avoiding of any competing for positions within the association. The executive committee simply consists of the organizers of the last, and the next Fora.