Littleton-Griswold Prize in American Law and Society

The Littleton-Griswold Prize is an annual award for the best book in any subject on the history of American law and society, broadly defined. Originally created in 1961 by the Littleton-Griswold Fund Committee for studies in the legal history of the American colonies and of the United States prior to 1900, the prize was not awarded until 1966 and was abolished the following year. In 1985, the Council revived the prize and expanded the scope to cover all of American history. The prize recognizes books of high scholarly and literary merit that advance our understanding of the intersection between law and society throughout American history. Books with a copyright of 2025 will be eligible for consideration for the 2026 award, with submissions opening in mid-March 2026 and a deadline of May 15, 2026. Recipients are announced in October and recognized at a ceremony during the AHA annual meeting.