Mary Kelly Persyn

Mary Kelly Persyn has a diverse work experience in the legal field. Mary Kelly is currently serving as the Vice President of Legal Affairs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, where they focus on providing high-quality youth development services. Mary is also the Founder and Principal of Persyn Law & Policy, where they specialize in child and youth advocacy and has worked on significant cases, such as the Supreme Court DACA case. Mary Kelly has served as an Elected Member of The American Law Institute and as the Chair of the Amicus Committee at the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. Mary has also been a Board Member and Co-lead of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee at the American Constitution Society. Mary Kelly was a member of Chief, an organization dedicated to empowering women executives, and has held leadership positions at the New Teacher Center and Hanna Boys Center. Earlier in their career, Mary worked as a Managing Associate Attorney at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and as a Judicial Law Clerk to Hon. John T. Noonan, Jr. at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mary Kelly Persyn has a well-rounded education history with a focus on law, trauma-informed interventions, and English literature. Mary Kelly obtained their Doctor of Law (JD) degree from Columbia Law School. Additionally, they pursued a Professional Program (Extension) in Trauma-Informed Interventions at the University of California, Berkeley from 2019 to 2020.

Mary Kelly Persyn also pursued higher education at the University of Washington, where they earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in English Literature. Additionally, they obtained a Master of Arts (MA) degree in English Literature from the same institution.

Earlier in their academic journey, they obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from UCLA, with a double major in English and Political Science.

In terms of additional certifications, Mary Kelly Persyn completed the Leadership Development Program from the Center for Creative Leadership in April 2022. Mary Kelly also obtained a Creative Commons Certificate from Creative Commons in December 2021. Furthermore, they completed the Berkeley Leading Complex Projects program from Emeritus in September 2021.