A Legal Authority Archive
The federal system, explained the way it should be.
Plain-English guides to federal criminal procedure, sentencing, and post-conviction relief — authored by a Cornell-educated federal defense attorney with decades of practice in United States district and circuit courts nationwide.
Editor’s Note
Written by the lawyer. Not the algorithm.
Most federal criminal law information online is either the raw text of a statute or paid advertising in disguise. This archive is neither. Every guide here is drafted from a working federal defense practice — the language is precise, the citations are current, and the tone respects a reader whose freedom may depend on understanding what happens next.
If you are a defendant, a family member, a paralegal, a journalist, or a young lawyer — this is the reference you would have wanted the first time you walked into a United States district court.
The Index · 6 Lanes
Six editorial lanes. One archive.
The archive follows the structure of a serious legal publication — from white papers and law journals to SCOTUS analysis and a source library.
The complete arc — from investigation to verdict
White Papers
Published scholarship and legal commentary
Journals
Supreme Court coverage and analysis
SCOTUS Analysis
Citations, internal links, and clear routing
Source Library
Published works and featured articles
Publications
Stay connected to new publications
Newsletter
Facing Federal Charges
Reading a guide is not the same as having counsel.
If you or someone you know is under federal investigation, indicted, or preparing for sentencing, do not rely on an internet article alone. Contact John Kirby for a confidential consultation with a practicing federal defense attorney.