Writings

Authored Books

Lincoln's Compass

Lincoln’s Compass (coming fall 2026) tells the story of Abraham Lincoln through the text that guided him more than any other: the Declaration of Independence. From his frontier youth in Kentucky and Indiana to the trials of the Civil War, Lincoln treated the Declaration as a living compass, one that pointed the nation toward human equality, democratic consent, and respect for the rule of law.

Edited Books

Claybourn's Agora

My periodical work, a mix of analysis and opinion, appears in several national publications. You'll find my columns in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Daily News, and USA Today, among others. Consider subscribing to my Substack newsletter, Claybourn's Agora. Here, you receive my latest writings straight to your inbox, providing unique insights and the chance to join a community of like-minded people. Connect and be part of the discussion by subscribing today.

Scholarly Articles and Book Chapters

Abraham Lincoln Scholarship

Claybourn, Joshua. “Lincoln the Reader 1809–1865.” Abraham Lincoln: His Life in Print, edited by Mazy Boroujerdi. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2024.
Claybourn, Joshua A. “Abe Lincoln: An Acceptable Nickname?.” For the People, a newsletter of the Abraham Lincoln Association vol. 20, no. 3 & 4 (Fall-Winter 2018): 8.

Constitutional and Legal Analysis

Amici curiae in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump and other related federal tariff cases. Click here for more.
"Recovering Unlawfully Imposed Tariffs: Navigating Refunds of IEEPA Duties," Lawfare Media, 17 September 2025.
Claybourn, Joshua A., and Abby V. DeMare. “Hoosier Emergency Powers: Restoring Checks and Balances.” Indiana Law Review 54, no. 2 (2021): 341-364.
Adjunct Professor, University of Evansville. Taught Business Organizations (LS 350), a course on the legal organization of business entities, emphasizing the role of lawyers in forming various business organizations.
Research assistant to Prof. Gerard Magliocca (Indiana University McKinney School of Law). Assisted in the research and composition of Constitutional False Positives and the Populist Movement, 81 NOTRE DAME L. REV. 821 (2006). My research for this article also contributed to a subsequent book: Andrew Jackson and the Constitution: The Rise and Fall of Generational Regimes (Lawrence: U of Kansas Press, 2007).
Executive Articles Editor, Indiana Health Law Review, Vol. 3. Solicited and edited articles; ultimately responsible for accepting or rejecting articles submitted for publication in volume 3, which was comprised of two issues featuring ten articles, four student notes, and a symposium.

Book Reviews

Claybourn, Joshua A., (2024) “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and the Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War, by Erik Larson.” The Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association 45(2): 8. doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/jala.6879
Claybourn, Joshua A. “A Review of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight.” Compulsive Reader, September 16, 2018.