Clarke D. Forsythe

Clarke Forsythe is currently Senior Counsel for Americans United for Life and author of "Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade." His 27 years of service to AUL includes founding and directing the AUL Project in Law & Bioethics, serving for six years as Vice President and General Counsel, overseeing nationwide litigation and legislation strategy, and serving as President for 10 years.

Forsythe has argued cases before federal and state courts and has testified before Congress and state legislatures. He is also a prolific writer on pro-life law issues, having published more than 15 law review articles and book chapters, as well as articles in First Things, the Wall Street Journal, and National Review Online. Other leading newspapers that have published his articles or quoted him include The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Times, the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal. Clarke blogs frequently on “The Road to Roe.”

In 2006, Forsythe received an M.A. in Bioethics from Trinity International University. His recent articles include “A Lack of Prudence,” published in Human Life Review; “Protecting Unconscious, Medically-Dependent Persons after Wendland & Schiavo,” published in Constitutional Commentary; “The Tragic Failure of Roe v. Wade: Why Abortion Should be Returned to the States” published in Texas Review of Law and Politics; and most recently, “A Road Map Through the Supreme Court’s Back Alley” published in Villanova Law Review.

His first book, "Politics for the Greatest Good: The Case for Prudence in the Public Square," was published by InterVarsity Press in 2009. First Things called it “an essential book for lawmakers and all participants in the ongoing culture wars.”

Clarke has a law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College.