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Brandon Sample is the attorney at Criminal Center. He is licensed in Vermont and practices federal criminal law nationwide, with years of hands-on experience in federal courts. He handles § 2255 motions and co-wrote The Habeas Citebook, a book on ineffective assistance of counsel claims.
What kinds of cases does Brandon handle?
Brandon’s law practice is focused on federal criminal defense, federal appeals, federal post-conviction relief, federal civil rights litigation, federal administrative law, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
His federal criminal work includes:
- Pre-trial and trial
- Sentence mitigation strategies
- Federal appeals
- 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motions and 28 U.S.C. § 2241 petitions
- 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) motions
- Federal prisoner treaty transfer requests
- Advice on cooperation with federal authorities
- Compassionate release motions
- Federal (presidential) pardon and commutation petitions
- Motions to amend supervised release conditions
- Early termination of supervised release
To hire Brandon, book a consultation.
What has Brandon written?
Brandon Sample is the author of The Habeas Citebook: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, first published in 2010.
The Habeas Citebook is a reference book for state and federal prisoners. It focuses on ineffective assistance of counsel — a claim that a defense lawyer’s mistakes hurt the case. That is one of the most common claims raised after a conviction.
A second edition of The Habeas Citebook, co-authored with Alissa Hull, Esq., was published in 2016. The Habeas Citebook is available for purchase from Prison Legal News, a monthly magazine that covers prison and criminal justice issues across the United States.
Brandon is also the co-author of Pardons and Commutations of Sentences: The Complete Guidebook to Applying for Clemency. Published in February 2019, it is available for purchase through Amazon.com.
Brandon has also authored over 100 different articles on criminal justice topics for Prison Legal News.
In addition, Brandon has co-authored several articles for the Huffington Post on criminal justice issues.
Brandon is also a columnist for Criminal Legal News, a monthly publication that covers criminal court decisions from across the United States.
Criminal justice reform work
In 2013, Brandon formed Prisology, a national tax-exempt nonprofit organization committed to reforming the U.S. criminal justice system.
In 2014, Prisology encouraged tens of thousands of people to support making a drug-sentencing guideline reduction, commonly called “drugs minus two,” retroactive for federal prisoners. The change is expected to save U.S. taxpayers over $4 billion in incarceration costs.
Brandon appeared before the U.S. Sentencing Commission in June 2014 and gave testimony in support of retroactive application of “drugs minus two.”
Prisology remains actively involved with different criminal justice initiatives, including litigation against the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Media appearances
Brandon Sample has been a featured guest on Stateside, a Michigan NPR program.
Brandon has also participated in discussions and interviews on XM/Sirius satellite radio and other online radio shows.
Education
- Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, Vermont Law School
- B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies, summa cum laude, Adams State University
Where is Brandon admitted?
Brandon Sample is admitted to practice law only in Vermont. Practice is limited to federal courts and federal agencies.
He is admitted to practice before these courts:
U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Federal district courts
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
State courts
- Supreme Court of Vermont
He has also handled federal cases in courts across the country.
Professional associations
- American Bar Association
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Federal Bar Association
- Vermont Trial Lawyers Association
Questions about your case? Book a consultation to talk it through with Brandon Sample.