The International Association of Law Schools (IALS) is an independent association of law schools that was established after a series of meetings of legal educators from around the world beginning in 2000. Incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia in the United States in 2005, its secretariat is based at Cornell Law School. Its membership includes over 170 schools from more than 45 countries. Its president is Francis S.L. Wang, Dean Emeritus of the Kenneth Wang School of Law at Soochow University.