Stephen M. Murphy is a judge in the San Francisco Superior Court, where he presides over probate matters, and an accomplished author known for his gripping legal thrillers. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and the University of San Francisco School of Law before serving as a law clerk in New Hampshire, where his work on a murder trial inspired his first Dutch Francis novel, Alibi. His writing, praised for its impeccable plotting and lifelike characters, explores the complexities of the legal system with authenticity and intrigue. Beneath the Gavel is his first standalone legal thriller.