Freedom of Association Law and Legal Definition
Freedom of Association refers to the right to join others for a legal common cause without interference. It is an individual right to join with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend common interests.
The right to freedom of association is incorporated in the US constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Freedom of association in the sense of a workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Labor Organization Conventions.
The freedom of association is an essential part of freedom of Speech because people can engage in effective speech only when they join with others. [NAACP v. Ala. ex rel. Patterson, 357 U.S. 449 (U.S. 1958)]
