Under the aegis of membership it fosters more responsive training and education to fulfill the needs of the profession through sponsorship of seminars, technical materials and personal contacts. The association serves as a unified national voice on key issues of the profession. Membership is composed of persons who are formally committed to the field of criminal justice either through their education or their employment. Chapters are organized as professional, collegiate, or a combination of both depending upon eligible members in the community. The association publishes both the LAE Journal and a Newsletter to provide information on the association and the professional field of criminal justice.
Regions conduct conferences and competitions in the fall within their own area and members.
The association holds a national conference annually in the spring which sponsors seminars, workshops, and competitive activities pertaining to the area for criminal justice. Locally the Delta Phi Upsilon chapter, charted in 1980 at Missouri Western State College, holds meetings where ideas are exchanged and information is shared which relates to the field of criminal justice. Fund raising is held to help finance participation in the regional and national conferences. Chapters also sponsor related seminars and assist local law enforcement agencies in information to the public. Collegiate chapters help to further educate their members of jobs in the career area and to promote higher education standards for the field of criminal justice.