The ABA was founded in August 1878 at Saratoga Springs, New York. A total of 75 lawyers from 20 states attended the first meeting. Now, the ABA has more than 400,000 members, an amount that has earned it distinction as the largest voluntary professional organization in the United States. Members tend to be either lawyers or law students, and membership is subdivided by specialty areas and career stages. The ABA also offers memberships to people who are interested in the legal profession, and international memberships are an option for licensed attorneys who live outside of the United States.
The ABA's main objectives are to serve its members, improve the legal profession, eradicate bias and increase diversity, and advance the rule of law. The ABA provides its members with training and resources in order to accomplish these goals.