Its formal membership consists solely of a board of directors, the majority of whom must be nationally recognized scholars on the subjects of Abraham Lincoln or the American Civil War.
The board of directors meets at least twice a year for the purpose of planning educational programs and the symposium, election of officers, and discussion of other business, such as the annual dissertation and book awards.
Book award winners in the past include Allen Guelzo for Redeemer President (2000)[7] and Cullom Davis on behalf of the landmark Lincoln Legal Papers (2001).
[8] Beginning in 1998, in the spring of each year, the institute has held a day-long symposium entitled The Latest in Lincoln Scholarship.
Past speakers at symposium have included Lincoln scholars Douglas L. Wilson, Allen Guelzo, Michael Burlingame, Cullom Davis, and Gabor Boritt.