As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 2, 2002.

                                                          File No.____________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
------------------------------------
(Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

          Delaware                                          53-0040540
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of                           (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                        Identification Number)

1231 25th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.                       20037
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Offices)                               (Zip Code)

Stock Purchase and Transfer Plan       and               The BNA 401(k) Plan
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            (Full title of the plans)

Paul N. Wojcik, CEO                             With a copy to:
The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.            David A. Massey, Esq.
1231 25th Street, N.W.                          Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP
Washington, D.C. 20037                          1275 Pennsylvania Ave N.W.
(202) 452-4200                                  Washington, D.C. 20004
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service of process)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Proposed Maximum   Proposed Maximum
   Title of       Amount         Offering           Aggregate       Amount of
Securities to     to be           Price             Offering       Registration
Be Registered   Registered     Per Share (1)        Price (1)          Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A
Common Stock
$1 par value    5,000,000 shs     $10.25          $51,250,000       $4,715.00


 (1) In accordance  with Rule 457(h) and General  Instruction E to Form S-8,
     the  proposed  maximum  aggregate  offering  price  and the  amount  of the
     registration  fee is computed  with  respect to the  maximum  number of the
     registrant's  securities  issuable  under the plan that are covered by this
     registration  statement.  The  offering  price  per share of Class A Common
     Stock,  as determined by the Company's Board of Directors,  is $10.25,  and
     such offering price applies to purchases of such stock under the BNA 401(k)
     Plan and to  purchases  (and sales) of such stock under the Stock  Purchase
     and Transfer Plan.

     In addition,  pursuant to Rule 416(c) of the Securities  Act of 1933,  this
Registration  Statement also covers an  indeterminate  amount of interests to be
offered or sold pursuant to the BNA 401(k) Plan.
<PAGE>2
                                       -2-

     The contents of the registrant's  registration  statement on Form S-8 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") on September 13, 1990
(Commission   file  no.  33-36816)  are  incorporated  by  reference  into  this
registration statement. Additional updating information is set forth below:

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
------------------------------------------------
      The following documents filed by the Company with the Commission
(File No. 2-28286) are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof:

(a)   The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
      2001;
(b)   The Annual Report on Form 11-K for The BNA 401(k) Plan for the year
      ended December 31, 2001, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to the Company's Annual
      Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001;
(c)   All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
      Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the registrant document
      referred to in (a) above; and
(d)   The description of the Company's common stock contained in the Articles of
      Incorporation and By-laws incorporated by reference into this Registration
      Statement (See Exhibit list beow).

     All documents  subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  prior to
the filing of a  post-effective  amendment  that  indicates  that all securities
offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold,
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this  Registration  Statement
and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement
contained in a document  incorporated by reference  herein shall be deemed to be
modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent
that a statement  contained herein or in any other  subsequently  filed document
that is  incorporated  by reference  herein  modifies or supersedes such earlier
statement.  Any such  statement so modified or  superseded  shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded,  to constitute a part of this  Registration
Statement.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
----------------------------------------------
     Certain legal  matters  regarding  the legality of the  securities  offered
hereby  will be  passed  upon  for the  Company  and the  Plans  by  Eunice  Lin
Bumgardner,  Esq. Ms.  Bumgardner is Vice  President and General  Counsel of the
Company,  and is a member of the Board of Directors.  As of March 23, 2002,  Ms.
Bumgardner owned 35,031 shares of the Company's Class A common stock.
<PAGE>3
                                       -3-

Item 8. Exhibits.
-----------------
(a)   In addition to those Exhibits previously filed in Item 8 to the
      registration statement incorporated herein by reference, the following
      exhibits are included with this registration statement in accordance with
      General Instruction E to Form S-8:

       4.1  Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1
            of the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
            December 31, 2001-File No.2-28286).

       4.2  By-laws   (Incorporated   by   reference   to  Exhibit  3.2  of  the
            Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
            31, 2001-File No. 2-28286).

       4.3  Stock Ownership policies and procedures

       5.1  Opinion of Eunice Lin Bumgardner

      23.1  Consent of Eunice Lin  Bumgardner  (contained in Exhibit 5.1)

      23.2  Consents  of KPMG LLP

      24    Power of  Attorney  (See Signature Page)

 (b)  The undersigned  registrant  hereby undertakes to submit a copy of The BNA
      401(k) Plan and any amendments  thereto to the  Internal  Revenue  Service
      ("IRS") in a timely manner and has made or will make all changes  required
      by the IRS in order to qualify such plan.
<PAGE>4
                                       -4-

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and  has  duly  caused  this  Form  S-8
registration statement (incorporating the contents of its registration statement
filed September 13, 1990, file number  33-36816),  to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned,  thereunto duly authorized, in Washington,  D.C. on the 1st day
of May, 2002.


                      The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.


                        s/Paul N. Wojcik
                      ----------------------------------
                      Paul N. Wojcik
                      President and Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities  stated  in each  case as of the  1st day of May,  2002.  Each of the
undersigned  officers and directors  hereby  severally  appoints and constitutes
Cynthia J. Bolbach and Paul A.  Blakely,  and each of them  singly,  as true and
lawful  attorneys-in-fact  with full power to them, and each of them singly,  to
sign for us and in our names in the capacities  indicated below, and to file any
and all further amendments to the Registration Statement filed herewith,  making
such changes in the Registration  Statement as the registrant deems appropriate,
and  generally  to do all things in our name and on our behalf as  officers  and
directors  to enable The Bureau of  National  Affairs,  Inc.  to comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, and all requirements of the Securities
and Exchange Commission


May 1, 2002           s/Paul N. Wojcik
---------------       ---------------------------------------------
       Date           Paul N. Wojcik, President,
                      Chief Executive Officer and Director


May 1, 2002           s/George J. Korphage
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           George J. Korphage, Vice President
                      CFO and Director  (Principal Accounting Officer)

May 1, 2002           s/ William A Beltz
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           William A. Beltz, Chairman of the Board


---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Sandra C. Degler, Vice-Chairman of the Board

<PAGE>5
                                  -5-

                         SIGNATURES (continued)



 May 1, 2002           s/ Cynthia J. Bolbach
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Cynthia J. Bolbach, Director


 May 1, 2002           s/ Eunice L. Bumgardner
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Eunice Lin Bumgardner, Director


 May 1, 2002           s/ Richard H. Cornfield
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Richard H. Cornfield, Director



---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           David L. Foster, Director



---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           John E. Jenc, Director


 May 1, 2002           s/ Gregory C. McCaffery
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Gregory C. McCaffery, Director


 May 1, 2002           s/ David P. McFarland
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           David P. McFarland, Director



---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Jonathan Newcomb, Director



---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Ellen Taus, Director



---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Daniel W. Toohey, Director


 May 1, 2002           s/ Robert L. Velte
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Robert L. Velte, Director


<PAGE>6
                                  -6-


The BNA 401(k) Plan


     Pursuant  to  the   requirements   of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Administrative   Committee   of  The  BNA  401(k)  Plan  has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in Washington, D.C. on the 1st day of May, 2002.

                      The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
                      The BNA 401(k) Plan

                        s/ Gilbert S. Lavine
                      ----------------------------------
                      Gilbert S. Lavine
                      (Chairman of the Committee)



<PAGE>7
                                  -7-

                                Form S-8

                  The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.

                              May 2, 2002

                           Index to Exhibits

Item                                                    Sequential Page Number
----                                                    ----------------------


 4.1  Articles of Incorporation, as amended                      *

 4.2  Restated By-laws                                           *

 4.3  Stock Ownership policies and procedures                    8

 5.1  Opinion of Eunice Lin Bumgardner                          16

23.1  Consent of Eunice Lin Bumgardner                          16
       (contained in  Exhibit 5.1)

23.2  Consents of KPMG LLP                                      17

24    Power of Attorney (contained in Signature Page)            4


*     Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K
      for the year ended December 31, 2001 (File No. 2-28286)).
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "s82001.txt", "description": "THIS IS THE S-8 FILING.", "secsgml_size_bytes": 13421}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BUREAU OF NATIONAL AFFAIRS INC", "cik": "0000015393", "assigned-sic": "2711", "irs-number": "530040540", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-87450", "film-number": "02631969"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1231 25TH ST NW", "city": "WASHINGTON", "state": "DC", "zip": "20037", "phone": "2024524200"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1231 25TH ST NW", "street2": "4-4132", "city": "WASHINGTON", "state": "DC", "zip": "20037"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 2, 2002.

                                                          File No.____________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
------------------------------------
(Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

          Delaware                                          53-0040540
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of                           (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                        Identification Number)

1231 25th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.                       20037
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Offices)                               (Zip Code)

Stock Purchase and Transfer Plan       and               The BNA 401(k) Plan
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            (Full title of the plans)

Paul N. Wojcik, CEO                             With a copy to:
The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.            David A. Massey, Esq.
1231 25th Street, N.W.                          Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP
Washington, D.C. 20037                          1275 Pennsylvania Ave N.W.
(202) 452-4200                                  Washington, D.C. 20004
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service of process)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Proposed Maximum   Proposed Maximum
   Title of       Amount         Offering           Aggregate       Amount of
Securities to     to be           Price             Offering       Registration
Be Registered   Registered     Per Share (1)        Price (1)          Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A
Common Stock
$1 par value    5,000,000 shs     $10.25          $51,250,000       $4,715.00

 (1) In accordance  with Rule 457(h) and General  Instruction E to Form S-8,
     the  proposed  maximum  aggregate  offering  price  and the  amount  of the
     registration  fee is computed  with  respect to the  maximum  number of the
     registrant's  securities  issuable  under the plan that are covered by this
     registration  statement.  The  offering  price  per share of Class A Common
     Stock,  as determined by the Company's Board of Directors,  is $10.25,  and
     such offering price applies to purchases of such stock under the BNA 401(k)
     Plan and to  purchases  (and sales) of such stock under the Stock  Purchase
     and Transfer Plan.

     In addition,  pursuant to Rule 416(c) of the Securities  Act of 1933,  this
Registration  Statement also covers an  indeterminate  amount of interests to be
offered or sold pursuant to the BNA 401(k) Plan.
2
                                       -2-

     The contents of the registrant's  registration  statement on Form S-8 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") on September 13, 1990
(Commission   file  no.  33-36816)  are  incorporated  by  reference  into  this
registration statement. Additional updating information is set forth below:

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
------------------------------------------------
      The following documents filed by the Company with the Commission
(File No. 2-28286) are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof:

(a)   The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
      2001;
(b)   The Annual Report on Form 11-K for The BNA 401(k) Plan for the year
      ended December 31, 2001, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to the Company's Annual
      Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001;
(c)   All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange
      Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the registrant document
      referred to in (a) above; and
(d)   The description of the Company's common stock contained in the Articles of
      Incorporation and By-laws incorporated by reference into this Registration
      Statement (See Exhibit list beow).

     All documents  subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  prior to
the filing of a  post-effective  amendment  that  indicates  that all securities
offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold,
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this  Registration  Statement
and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement
contained in a document  incorporated by reference  herein shall be deemed to be
modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent
that a statement  contained herein or in any other  subsequently  filed document
that is  incorporated  by reference  herein  modifies or supersedes such earlier
statement.  Any such  statement so modified or  superseded  shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded,  to constitute a part of this  Registration
Statement.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
----------------------------------------------
     Certain legal  matters  regarding  the legality of the  securities  offered
hereby  will be  passed  upon  for the  Company  and the  Plans  by  Eunice  Lin
Bumgardner,  Esq. Ms.  Bumgardner is Vice  President and General  Counsel of the
Company,  and is a member of the Board of Directors.  As of March 23, 2002,  Ms.
Bumgardner owned 35,031 shares of the Company's Class A common stock.
3
                                       -3-

Item 8. Exhibits.
-----------------
(a)   In addition to those Exhibits previously filed in Item 8 to the
      registration statement incorporated herein by reference, the following
      exhibits are included with this registration statement in accordance with
      General Instruction E to Form S-8:

       4.1  Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1
            of the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
            December 31, 2001-File No.2-28286).

       4.2  By-laws   (Incorporated   by   reference   to  Exhibit  3.2  of  the
            Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
            31, 2001-File No. 2-28286).

       4.3  Stock Ownership policies and procedures

       5.1  Opinion of Eunice Lin Bumgardner

      23.1  Consent of Eunice Lin  Bumgardner  (contained in Exhibit 5.1)

      23.2  Consents  of KPMG LLP

      24    Power of  Attorney  (See Signature Page)

 (b)  The undersigned  registrant  hereby undertakes to submit a copy of The BNA
      401(k) Plan and any amendments  thereto to the  Internal  Revenue  Service
      ("IRS") in a timely manner and has made or will make all changes  required
      by the IRS in order to qualify such plan.
4
                                       -4-

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and  has  duly  caused  this  Form  S-8
registration statement (incorporating the contents of its registration statement
filed September 13, 1990, file number  33-36816),  to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned,  thereunto duly authorized, in Washington,  D.C. on the 1st day
of May, 2002.

                      The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.

                        s/Paul N. Wojcik
                      ----------------------------------
                      Paul N. Wojcik
                      President and Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities  stated  in each  case as of the  1st day of May,  2002.  Each of the
undersigned  officers and directors  hereby  severally  appoints and constitutes
Cynthia J. Bolbach and Paul A.  Blakely,  and each of them  singly,  as true and
lawful  attorneys-in-fact  with full power to them, and each of them singly,  to
sign for us and in our names in the capacities  indicated below, and to file any
and all further amendments to the Registration Statement filed herewith,  making
such changes in the Registration  Statement as the registrant deems appropriate,
and  generally  to do all things in our name and on our behalf as  officers  and
directors  to enable The Bureau of  National  Affairs,  Inc.  to comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, and all requirements of the Securities
and Exchange Commission

May 1, 2002           s/Paul N. Wojcik
---------------       ---------------------------------------------
       Date           Paul N. Wojcik, President,
                      Chief Executive Officer and Director

May 1, 2002           s/George J. Korphage
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           George J. Korphage, Vice President
                      CFO and Director  (Principal Accounting Officer)

May 1, 2002           s/ William A Beltz
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           William A. Beltz, Chairman of the Board

---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Sandra C. Degler, Vice-Chairman of the Board
5
                                  -5-

                         SIGNATURES (continued)

 May 1, 2002           s/ Cynthia J. Bolbach
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Cynthia J. Bolbach, Director

 May 1, 2002           s/ Eunice L. Bumgardner
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Eunice Lin Bumgardner, Director

 May 1, 2002           s/ Richard H. Cornfield
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Richard H. Cornfield, Director

---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           David L. Foster, Director

---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           John E. Jenc, Director

 May 1, 2002           s/ Gregory C. McCaffery
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Gregory C. McCaffery, Director

 May 1, 2002           s/ David P. McFarland
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           David P. McFarland, Director

---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Jonathan Newcomb, Director

---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Ellen Taus, Director

---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Daniel W. Toohey, Director

 May 1, 2002           s/ Robert L. Velte
---------------       ----------------------------------------------
       Date           Robert L. Velte, Director
6
                                  -6-

The BNA 401(k) Plan

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements   of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Administrative   Committee   of  The  BNA  401(k)  Plan  has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in Washington, D.C. on the 1st day of May, 2002.

                      The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
                      The BNA 401(k) Plan

                        s/ Gilbert S. Lavine
                      ----------------------------------
                      Gilbert S. Lavine
                      (Chairman of the Committee)
7
                                  -7-

                                Form S-8

                  The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.

                              May 2, 2002

                           Index to Exhibits

Item                                                    Sequential Page Number
----                                                    ----------------------

 4.1  Articles of Incorporation, as amended                      *

 4.2  Restated By-laws                                           *

 4.3  Stock Ownership policies and procedures                    8

 5.1  Opinion of Eunice Lin Bumgardner                          16

23.1  Consent of Eunice Lin Bumgardner                          16
       (contained in  Exhibit 5.1)

23.2  Consents of KPMG LLP                                      17

24    Power of Attorney (contained in Signature Page)            4

*     Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K
      for the year ended December 31, 2001 (File No. 2-28286)).