How much a clemency lawyer costs is not one figure we publish on this page. The consultation is a paid hour with Brandon Sample. The amount is listed on the clemency consultation page. That hour is the call only. It does not include record review or a written follow-up. Representation, if we take the case, is a separate quote.
What the paid consultation covers
The paid consultation is one hour with Brandon Sample. We use it to hear the federal conviction, the sentence, and where the case stands. The hour does not include reading the record or sending a written follow-up.
We talk through the choice between a pardon and a commutation, and how a request moves through the Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney. We talk about timing. If representation fits, that work is quoted on its own, apart from the hour.
- The federal conviction, the sentence, and the posture of the case, as you describe them
- Whether the petition should be a pardon or a commutation
- How the Office of the Pardon Attorney handles a request
- Timing, including the waiting period in the pardon rule
- That representation, if any, is quoted separately from the hour
A lawyer's time and judgment
Lawyers earn their living from their time. The consultation is an hour of that time. A client pays for the hour.
We charge for the consultation because the hour is spent on the federal case you bring to us. The meeting is with Brandon Sample. It is for the person who has the federal conviction and for a loved one who is helping.
Pardon, commutation, and the Pardon Attorney
A pardon asks the President to forgive a federal offense. The pardon rule says a petition should wait at least five years after release from confinement. If there was no prison sentence, the wait is at least five years after the conviction. In general, a person who is still on probation, parole, or supervised release should not file yet (28 C.F.R. § 1.2).
A commutation asks the President to shorten a federal sentence that is still being served. The conviction stays on the record. A commutation petition should not be filed while other judicial or administrative relief is available, except in exceptional circumstances (28 C.F.R. § 1.3). The comparison is on our page about a pardon and a commutation.
Petitions are submitted to the Office of the Pardon Attorney (28 C.F.R. § 1.1). The Office investigates and sends a recommendation. The President decides. The power covers offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment (Article II, Section 2). You do not need a lawyer to apply. The Office says the process is open to eligible applicants with or without a lawyer, and that most people who apply do not have one (Office of the Pardon Attorney, Frequently Asked Questions).
Timing
The five-year waiting period for a pardon is the rule above. A commutation can be requested while a federal sentence is being served, subject to the rule about other relief. The Office does not set a fixed date for a decision. No one can say in advance whether the President will grant clemency, or when.
What we need before a representation quote
Have the judgment, the docket number, and the date any prison term ended. If a loved one makes the request, the person with the conviction can join. We do not quote representation during the consultation hour. A clemency lawyer can prepare the petition. Filing one is still the person's choice.
Federal convictions only
The President can grant clemency only for an offense against the United States. A state conviction is outside that power, and it is outside the cases we take here.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not make us your lawyer. The limits are on the disclaimer.
Request a consultation and tell us what happened. We'll listen, tell you whether we can help, and explain what comes next.
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