The American Association of Jurists is a non-governmental Organization with consultive status before the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Its main principles and objectives are the struggle for self-determination of peoples, full economic independence as well as sovereignty of the State over its wealth and natural resources; the struggle against imperialism, fascism, colonialism and the discrimination against women, the indigenous people and national minorities; the defense of real peace based on the principle of peaceful co-existence between States of different social and economic systems; the defense and promotion of Human Rights and the realization of better and more effective guarantees to their protection; the condemnation and denunciation of repressive legislation existing in American States which contradicts and deviates from the principles and objectives of this Association; the establishment of fraternal relations and common actions with jurists and their Organizations throughout the world committed to objectives similar to those of the AAJ.

It also aims the defense, effective protection and dignifying of the legal profession as well as the solidarity with jurists who are persecuted due to their supporting those principles. Its actuation is under the mobilization of jurists of the American Countries to develop joint actions to secure the active involvement of juridical science in the process of social and economic changes in their respective countries which are consistent with the AAJ principles and objectives.

Every three years an AAJ Continental Conference takes place to set forth current themes concerning continental interests related with the AAJ principles and objectives, with open participation of associates and invited jurists. Between the Continental Conferences the AAJ promotes regional conferences concerning specific themes. Investigative missions, reports, gestions or any other activity in defense of principles and objectives are accomplished too. The AAJ issues a magazine every six months and has permanent representatives at the UN in Geneva and New York. The national branches, freely organized, but respecting the AAJ principles and objetives, handle their own conferences, about specific national themes.

The AAJ expresses in the four official languages of the American Nations: English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. The AAJ is an independent Organization with membership in all countries of the American Continent. The AAJ does not receive any government grants, its finances depending on membership fees paid by the members. To become a member a jurist has to accept the AAJ principles and objectives.

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