John A. Lawrence served for thirty-eight years as a senior staff person in the United States House of Representatives, including as chief of staff for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He is currently a visiting professor at the University of California’s Washington Center. He is the author of: The Class of ’74: Congress after Watergate and the Roots of Partisanship; Arc of Power: Inside Nancy Pelosi’s Speakership, 2005-2010; and Sherlock Holmes: The Affair at Mayerling Lodge.