SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                             Current Report Pursuant
                          to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) July 27, 1999
                                                 -------------------------------

                           AMERICAN LAWYER MEDIA, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                                    Delaware
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

      333-50117                                          13-3980414
------------------------                    ------------------------------------
(Commission File Number)                    (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

                 345 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                                 (212) 779-9200
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
<PAGE>

Item 5. Other Events.

            This Current Report on Form 8-K is being filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission by American Lawyer Media, Inc. (the "Company") for the
purpose of reporting that on July 27, 1999, the Company, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of American Lawyer Media Holdings, Inc. ("ALM"), completed the sale,
for $1,000,000 in cash, of all of the common stock, par value $.01 per share, of
the Company's wholly-owned Internet subsidiary, Professional On Line, Inc.
("POL"), to Law.Com Acquisition Corp. (the "Purchaser"), the holding company for
a leading Web destination for law information, e-commerce and e-services. At the
time of the sale, the Purchaser was owned primarily by the current stockholders
of ALM.

            The Purchaser then merged into POL, with POL surviving, thereby
seeking to create a comprehensive destination for legal information on the Web.
A copy of the press release issued by the Company announcing this merger is
filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference. After the
merger, POL changed its name to Law.Com, Inc. The Company owns all of the issued
and outstanding 12.5% Preferred Stock of Law.Com, Inc. and the common stock of
Law.Com, Inc. is owned primarily by the current stockholders of ALM.

Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial
        Information and Exhibits.

      (a)   Financial Statement of Businesses Acquired.

            None.

      (b)   Pro Forma Financial Information.

            None.

      (c)   Exhibits.

            The following exhibits are filed herewith:

            99.1  Press Release dated July 27, 1999.


                                       2
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                       AMERICAN LAWYER MEDIA, INC.


                                       By: /s/ William L. Pollak
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           William L. Pollak
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: August 24, 1999


                                       3
<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number                                    Description
------                                    -----------

99.1                          Press Release dated July 27, 1999.


                                       4
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                             Current Report Pursuant
                          to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) July 27, 1999
                                                 -------------------------------

                           AMERICAN LAWYER MEDIA, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                                    Delaware
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

      333-50117                                          13-3980414
------------------------                    ------------------------------------
(Commission File Number)                    (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

                 345 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                                 (212) 779-9200
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Item 5. Other Events.

            This Current Report on Form 8-K is being filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission by American Lawyer Media, Inc. (the "Company") for the
purpose of reporting that on July 27, 1999, the Company, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of American Lawyer Media Holdings, Inc. ("ALM"), completed the sale,
for $1,000,000 in cash, of all of the common stock, par value $.01 per share, of
the Company's wholly-owned Internet subsidiary, Professional On Line, Inc.
("POL"), to Law.Com Acquisition Corp. (the "Purchaser"), the holding company for
a leading Web destination for law information, e-commerce and e-services. At the
time of the sale, the Purchaser was owned primarily by the current stockholders
of ALM.

            The Purchaser then merged into POL, with POL surviving, thereby
seeking to create a comprehensive destination for legal information on the Web.
A copy of the press release issued by the Company announcing this merger is
filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference. After the
merger, POL changed its name to Law.Com, Inc. The Company owns all of the issued
and outstanding 12.5% Preferred Stock of Law.Com, Inc. and the common stock of
Law.Com, Inc. is owned primarily by the current stockholders of ALM.

Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial
        Information and Exhibits.

      (a)   Financial Statement of Businesses Acquired.

            None.

      (b)   Pro Forma Financial Information.

            None.

      (c)   Exhibits.

            The following exhibits are filed herewith:

            99.1  Press Release dated July 27, 1999.

                                       2
SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                       AMERICAN LAWYER MEDIA, INC.

                                       By: /s/ William L. Pollak
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           William L. Pollak
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: August 24, 1999

                                       3
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number                                    Description
------                                    -----------

99.1                          Press Release dated July 27, 1999.

                                       4