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                                                                    EXHIBIT 31.1

                  CERTIFICATION BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

       I, William L. Pollak, certify that:

1.     I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of American Lawyer
       Media, Inc.;

2.     Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
       statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
       to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
       such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
       covered by this quarterly report;

3.     Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
       information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
       material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
       flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
       quarterly report;

4.     The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
       establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
       defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant
       and have:

             a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that
             material information relating to the registrant, including its
             consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within the
             registrant, particularly during the period in which this quarterly
             report is being prepared;

             b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
             controls and procedures and presented in this quarterly report our
             conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
             procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly
             report based on such evaluation; and

             c) Disclosed in this quarterly report any change in the
             registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
             occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that
             has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
             affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

5.     The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on
       our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,
       to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's
       board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

             a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
             design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
             which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
             ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
             information; and

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             b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
             other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
             internal control over financial reporting.

       Date: November 12, 2004

          /s/ WILLIAM L. POLLAK
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       William L. Pollak
       President and Chief Executive Officer