Briefly
Professors/Stanford Law School

Nathaniel Persily

James B. McClatchy Professor of Law

Constitutional LawElection LawLaw of DemocracyTechnology and Governance

Nathaniel Persily is the James B. McClatchy Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and Co-Director of the Stanford Law AI Initiative. He holds appointments in Political Science, Communication, and the Freeman Spogli Institute. A leading scholar of election law, he has served as a special master or court-appointed expert for redistricting in multiple states including Georgia, New York, and Pennsylvania. He is co-author of the leading election law casebook, The Law of Democracy.

Teaching Style

Professor Persily brings both legal and political science expertise to his teaching, using a Socratic method enriched by empirical analysis. He cold-calls students and expects them to engage with both legal doctrine and political science research on democratic institutions. His classes are timely and often address the latest election law controversies, pushing students to think about law as it operates within real political systems.

Cold Call Tips

  1. 1Stay current on recent election law developments, redistricting cases, and campaign finance rulings
  2. 2Understand the empirical political science behind legal concepts like gerrymandering and voter suppression
  3. 3Be prepared to discuss technology platform regulation and its implications for democratic governance
  4. 4Know the major Voting Rights Act and First Amendment cases related to elections

Areas of Expertise

Election law and voting rightsRedistricting and gerrymanderingCampaign finance regulationTechnology platform governanceDemocratic process and institutions

Education

  • B.A. and M.A., Yale University (Political Science)
  • J.D., Stanford Law School
  • Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (Political Science)

Notable Publications

  • The Law of Democracy: Legal Structure of the Political Process (casebook)

Research Interests

Redistricting and electoral systemsTechnology governance and AI regulationCampaign finance law and policyVoting rights enforcementDemocratic accountability and institutional design

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