American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries


The American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries was founded in 1943 to improve legislative administration, and to establish better communication between clerk and secretaries throughout the United States and its territories. In 1974, ASLCS joined with several state legislative groups to form the National Conference of State Legislatures. The society includes an active membership of more than four hundred principal clerks, secretaries, and legislative support staff.

Publications and standards

ASLCS publishes several reference and resource books, including the Legislative Administrator, the Professional Journal, the Roster and Reference Guide, the International Directory, Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure, and Inside the Legislative Process.
The Society's publications are governed by standards approved by the Executive Committee of ASLCS. The publication standards are policies adopted by the ASLCS Executive Committee that are continuing in nature. Publication Standards remain in effect unless amended by the Executive Committee.
Legislative Administrator
The Legislative Administrator is the official newsletter of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries.
Professional Journal
"The Journal" provides a forum to share experiences, expertise and opinions on a variety of subjects influencing our daily working environment.
International Directory
The International Directory is a booklet that provides a resource in English, Spanish and French of the objectives and goals of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, Association of Chief Clerks of Mexico's State Legislatures and the Federal District of Mexico, Association of Central American Legislative Clerks, the Canadian Clerks-at-the Table, South African Legislative Secretaries Association, and the Australian Clerks. The booklet also contains the names, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses of the Executive Committee members of the respective organizations.
Inside the Legislative Process
Inside the Legislative Process is a research tool, providing information on state legislative processes and procedures. The ASLCS committee on Inside the Legislative Process is responsible for reviewing and producing this publication. The committee works closely with NCSL staff to develop survey questions and record the responses in a format that is easily usable by all legislative units and reflects current legislative processes.

International relations

Additionally, the Joint Canadian-American Clerks' Conference is held biennially in odd-numbered years. It is hosted alternately between Canada and the United States. Unlike other Society meetings, participation in this conference is limited to principal clerks and secretaries or to the principal assistant if the clerk or secretary is unable to attend. The meeting typically occurs in August or September. The location is determined by joint recommendation of the ASLCS Canadian/American Relations Committee and the Canadian Association of Clerks-at-the-Table.