France has established a long and solid tradition of comparative law. The SociJtJ de lJgislation comparJe, was founded by Edouard Laboulaye in 1869 and in 1900, the Congress of comparative law was held in Paris under its auspices. The Congress of Paris symbolises the rise of a new branch of legal science. Over the twentieth century, comparative law lost some of its importance. This was due to various factors, amongst which a positivistic and legicentric teaching of French law. Over the past decades, the internationalisation and Europeanization of law, combined with the development of immigration and international trade have led to the «renaissance» of comparative law and to a profound transformation of that discipline. The article describes this transformation as well as the new challenges for comparative law.