, ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁nation ally ▁recognized ▁scholar ▁of ▁constitution al ▁law , ▁election ▁law , ▁and ▁the ▁dem ocr atic ▁process . ▁ ▁Education ▁and ▁Early ▁Career ▁Pers ily ▁received ▁his ▁B . A ./ M . A . ▁in ▁Political ▁Science ▁from ▁Y ale ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ; ▁his ▁J . D . ▁from ▁Stan ford ▁Law ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Stan ford ▁Law ▁Review ; ▁and ▁his ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁Political ▁Science ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁Following ▁law ▁school , ▁Pers ily ▁cl erk ed ▁for ▁the ▁Honor able ▁David ▁S . ▁T atel ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁Circ uit . ▁ ▁Career ▁Following ▁his ▁cl erk ship , ▁Pers ily ▁worked ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁as ▁associate ▁coun sel ▁at ▁the ▁B ren nan ▁Center ▁for ▁Justice ▁at ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁School ▁of ▁Law . ▁Pers ily ▁then ▁joined ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁Law ▁School , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁Ass istant ▁Professor ▁of ▁Law ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁a ▁Professor ▁of ▁Law ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁At ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁Law ▁School , ▁Pers ily ▁won ▁the ▁Robert ▁A . ▁G orm an ▁Award