John Yoo

Senior Research Fellow

Biography

John Yoo is a senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute, and a distinguished visiting professor at the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also the Emanuel Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley where he supervises the Public Law and Policy Program among other programs at Berkeley Law. Concurrently, he is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Yoo has served in all three branches of government: as an official in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he worked on national security and terrorism issues after the 9/11 attacks; general counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee; and as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and federal appeals Judge Laurence Silberman. He has been also a visiting professor at the University of Chicago, in Japan and South Korea, Israel, and Italy.

He is the author, coauthor, editor, and coeditor of thirteen books on constitutional law, international law, national security, and the Supreme Court including, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Supreme Court (Regnery, 2023) which he coauthored with Robert J. Delahunty; Defender in Chief: Donald Trump's Fight for Presidential Power (All Points Books, 2020); and Crisis and Command: A History of Executive Power from George Washington to George W. Bush (Kaplan Publishing, 2010). His commentary is regularly published in the popular press, including in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The recipient of the Federalist Society’s Paul M. Bator Award, he graduated from Harvard College and Yale Law School.

Recent contributions

The Wages of War and Punishment

Politics
October 2, 2025

The Supreme Court Must Freeze the Climate Extortion of Our Energy Industry

Constitutionalism
October 1, 2025

What Could the Supreme Court Rule About Trump's Tariffs?

Constitutionalism
September 8, 2025

Trump's Immigration Agenda and the Constitution

Constitutionalism
January 31, 2025

Trump and the Panama Canal: Why He Should Invoke the Monroe Doctrine

Politics
January 9, 2025

The War Powers and Original Understanding

Constitutionalism
July 8, 2025

The REINS Act Would Be Another Blow to the Administrative State

Constitutionalism
May 14, 2025

The Federal Judiciary versus the Trump Administration

Constitutionalism
March 20, 2025

The Court of International Trade Issued a Deeply Flawed Tariff Ruling

Constitutionalism
June 3, 2025

The Conserving Force of Lawyers in American Democracy

Politics
June 10, 2025

The Competing Tensions in America's Middle East Policy

Politics
February 13, 2025

Suspending Habeas Corpus: A Lincolnian Guide

Constitutionalism
May 20, 2025

Shaking the Foundations of the Administrative State

Constitutionalism
April 4, 2025

Return to the Monroe Doctrine

Politics
February 5, 2025

Governor Newsom Is Committing Constitutional Malpractice

Constitutionalism
June 12, 2025

Globalization’s Challenge to American Constitutionalism

Constitutionalism
December 16, 2024

Exploring the Future of Latin America and US Relations

Economic Dynamism
July 2, 2025

Ending Nationwide Injunctions

Constitutionalism
May 15, 2025

Emergency Powers and Constitutional Foundations

Constitutionalism
April 15, 2025

Civitas Conversations: John Yoo Discusses Andrew Jackson's Gunslinger Presidency

Constitutionalism
July 25, 2025

Breaking Watergate's Hold on the Presidency

Constitutionalism
February 21, 2025

Birthright Citizenship Is American Citizenship

Constitutionalism
January 24, 2025

Andrew Jackson Redefined the American Presidency

Constitutionalism
July 22, 2025

American Power and the Global Calculus of Peace

Politics
July 17, 2025
View all
Latest from

John Yoo

No items found.
Show more

The Wages of War and Punishment

October 2, 2025

The Supreme Court Must Freeze the Climate Extortion of Our Energy Industry

October 1, 2025

What Could the Supreme Court Rule About Trump's Tariffs?

September 8, 2025

Trump's Immigration Agenda and the Constitution

January 31, 2025

Trump and the Panama Canal: Why He Should Invoke the Monroe Doctrine

January 9, 2025

The War Powers and Original Understanding

July 8, 2025

The REINS Act Would Be Another Blow to the Administrative State

May 14, 2025

The Federal Judiciary versus the Trump Administration

March 20, 2025

The Court of International Trade Issued a Deeply Flawed Tariff Ruling

June 3, 2025

The Conserving Force of Lawyers in American Democracy

June 10, 2025

The Competing Tensions in America's Middle East Policy

February 13, 2025

Suspending Habeas Corpus: A Lincolnian Guide

May 20, 2025

Shaking the Foundations of the Administrative State

April 4, 2025

Return to the Monroe Doctrine

February 5, 2025

Governor Newsom Is Committing Constitutional Malpractice

June 12, 2025

Globalization’s Challenge to American Constitutionalism

December 16, 2024

Exploring the Future of Latin America and US Relations

July 2, 2025

Ending Nationwide Injunctions

May 15, 2025

Emergency Powers and Constitutional Foundations

April 15, 2025

Civitas Conversations: John Yoo Discusses Andrew Jackson's Gunslinger Presidency

July 25, 2025

Breaking Watergate's Hold on the Presidency

February 21, 2025

Birthright Citizenship Is American Citizenship

January 24, 2025

Andrew Jackson Redefined the American Presidency

July 22, 2025

American Power and the Global Calculus of Peace

July 17, 2025
Show more
No items found.
No items found.
No items found.
No items found.
No items found.
No items found.
Civitas Outlook
Don’t Choose Your Own Adventure: Understanding Middle-Class Earnings Trends

Measuring these trends is complicated, but the results of wage gains are encouraging.

Civitas Outlook
Dallin Oaks: From Legal Giant to Leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Oaks decided not to be “a lawyer who had been called as an apostle,” but rather “an apostle who used to be a lawyer.”

Join the newsletter

Get the Civitas Outlook daily digest, plus new research and events.

Subscribe
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Ideas for
Prosperity

Tomorrow’s leaders need better, bolder ideas about how to make our society freer and more prosperous. That’s why the Civitas Institute exists, plain and simple.
Discover more at Civitas