The Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting, held in early January each year, is the largest gathering of law faculty in the world. More than 2,500 law teachers, librarians, and law school administrators from member schools, fee-paid schools, and law schools of other nations attend the gathering. A keynote address and Presidential Programs are among the highlights. Most of the meeting is devoted to programs organized and presented by AALS sections. To encourage and recognize excellent legal scholarship by new law teachers, AALS issues a call for scholarly papers by full-time faculty who have taught for five years or less. Legal scholars select for special recognition those authors whose papers have made the most substantial contribution to legal literature. Many other legal education organizations hold meetings or programs in conjunction with the AALS Annual Meeting, and law schools hold receptions for graduates and friends. It is also an opportunity for legal educators to connect with colleagues from other law schools and countries around matters of common interest.