American Society of International Law

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
530242653
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2029395367
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Professional Societies, Associations

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,542,201
Expenses
$2,749,921
Assets
$5,971,577
Liabilities
$340,600

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

53 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL D COOPER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • MELIDA HODGSON (PRESIDENT)
  • OONA HATHAWAY (PRESIDENT-ELECT (STARTING APRIL))
  • JOAN DONOGHUE (HONORARY PRESIDENT)
  • HARLAN COHEN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MARNEY CHEEK (VICE PRESIDENT (THROUGH APRIL))

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHAEL D COOPER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $279,217 total reported compensation
  • JAMES A STEINER (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $156,277 total reported compensation
  • JUSTINE HALL (DIRECTOR: RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS): $142,334 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To foster the study of international law and to promote international relations on the basis of law and justice.

What it reported doing in 2025

Publications - in 2024, asil's publications continued to be leaders in the field, reaching thousands of individual and institutional subscribers in more than 100 countries with information and analysis about international legal developments. The american journal ofinternational law was published quarterly during the year international legal materials was published six times during the year and the annual meeting proceedings was also published. In addition, the society produces books (including asil studies in transnational legal policy, and asil studies in international legal theory (published by cambridge university press), as well as discussion papers and issue briefs, known as "asil insights." its popular publication, "international law: 100 ways it shapes our lives," is currently being updated to produce a second edition.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.9%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 55.1%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.8 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 97.3%; rating input score 97; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -8.2%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.17; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25.6%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.9% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.9% of revenue deployed · 55.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 36 of 37 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $279K · 53 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $336K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 10/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 58/100.