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American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Fall Institute, Washington, DC, Open to All! It’s Free! Fri., Nov. 3, 2023

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Please join us for the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Fall Institute on Friday, November 3, 2023 at the Madison Hotel, 1177 15th Street, Washington, DC. Last year, 15 Fellow Travelers attended this conference together and then we all went out to Carmine’s Italian Restaurant for an evening of camaraderie, stories, laughter – and great food! Let’s do it again! 

I am honored to serve as Co-Chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section Reentry & Collateral Consequences Committee. – Jeff

Reserve your tickets now: https://web.cvent.com/event/0cc4ea33-bd11-4c71-98a8-66967d69bd2e/summary

Podcast: Jeff Grant on the Beyond the Balance Sheet Podcast, “From Prison to Promise – A Lawyer’s Story,” Sept. 6, 2023

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Please check out my interview on Beyond The Balance Sheet with hosts, Diana Clark & Arden O’Connor of the O’Connor Professional Group – Behavioral Health Navigation. The podcast discusses the important mix of legal and psychological training advisors need to serve their clients best.


Link: https://oconnorpg.com/…/from-prison-to-promise-a…/


“Jeff Grant possesses an intriguing narrative that he candidly recounts. His journey began with opioid addiction and culminated in him borrowing funds from clients’ accounts, leading to his incarceration. Jeff underwent a transformative experience, earning his Master of Divinity degree and successfully reinstating his law license. He now serves as the visionary behind Progressive Prison Ministries and GrantLaw, which is dedicated to aiding individuals convicted of white-collar offenses by providing them with moral support and defense. This episode will be one of your favorites.”


IN THIS EPISODE:
[01:27] Jeff shares his background story from being a successful lawyer to drug addiction and hopelessness ending in attempted suicide
[04:21] Would white-collar crime still have been manifested if it were not for drug addiction? Jeff discusses the motivations of people within the Progressive Prison Ministries
[08:16] Arden asks if financial institutions unintentionally reward people with values that lead them down a white-collar path
[11:45] Jeff discusses life before and after crime and how families cope with life after white-collar crime
[18:24] Jeff discusses what his family experienced and why he started the GrantLaw Firm
[26:27] Jeff gives his advice to anyone who finds themselves involved in a white-collar crime scenario


KEY TAKEAWAYS:
White-collar crime brings down a lot more than just you. It brings down your family, friends, and sometimes an entire community.
Insider trading is a crime of opportunity and a lifetime sentence even after serving time.
Many marriages do not survive white-collar crime, but there is hope, and listeners can contact Jeff’s firm for advice.


BIOGRAPHY
After an addiction to prescription opioids and serving almost fourteen months in a Federal prison (2006 – 07) for a white-collar crime (SBA loan fraud) he committed in 2001, Jeff started his reentry – earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, majoring in Social Ethics. After graduating from divinity school, Jeff was called to serve at an inner city church in Bridgeport, CT as Associate Minister and Director of Prison Ministries. He then co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. (Greenwich, CT), the world’s first ministry dedicated to serving people navigating the white-collar criminal justice system.


On May 5, 2021, Jeff’s law license was reinstated by the Supreme Court of the State of New York. On August 10, 2023, he celebrated 21 years of continuous sobriety.


Jeff has founded the law firm of GrantLaw, PLLC, is once again in private practice in New York City and is committed to using his legal expertise and life experience to benefit others.


GrantLaw, PLLC, is a new type of law firm providing private general counsel services to clients who have previously faced or who could be facing white-collar prosecutions and regulatory proceedings and their companies and families. In this role, Jeff and his team assist clients in making critical and timely business and family decisions and in executing them so that they have the best chance to come out the other side with lives of purpose, meaning and success.


“Jeff Grant is the real deal… I can’t imagine there is a lawyer in this country more qualified to consider the complex issues facing people prosecuted for white collar crimes and their families.” – Evan Osnos, The New Yorker.

Video: Jeff Grant Interviewed on the Financial Clarity with Hannah Smolinski Podcast. Aug. 2, 2023: “From Law Practice to Prison and Back Again.”

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Jeff Grant is the Founder of Grant Law, a unique firm committed to providing private general counsel services for individuals and families dealing with white-collar prosecutions and regulatory proceedings. Following a personal journey that included overcoming addiction and serving federal prison time for a white-collar crime, Jeff emerged with a renewed sense of purpose and direction.

After reentry into society, he earned a Master’s of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary and co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, the world’s first ministry serving individuals in the white-collar criminal justice system. With his law license reinstated by the US Supreme Court of the state of New York, Jeff leverages his legal expertise and life experiences to benefit others, an effort that has landed him features in notable publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Jeff Grant shares the story behind his addiction and prison time and how he bounced back

• Jeff’s advice to those in legal trouble due to improper use of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans

• What surprised Jeff during the investigative process of his case

• Why is it crucial to have a support group?

• Why Jeff did not expect to have his law license reinstated

• Jeff’s plan for his new law firm, Grant Law

• How did Jeff’s past turn into his differentiating factor?

• Jeff’s advice to anyone starting a small business from scratch

In this episode…

In the high-stakes world of law and finance, missteps can lead to drastic consequences. How do professionals pick themselves up after such fallouts? Can a tainted reputation ever be restored?

Jeff Grant, a successful lawyer, found his world turned upside down when he was convicted for a white-collar crime. He lost his license and spent 14 months in federal prison. But this was not the end for Jeff. Remarkably, he rebuilt his life post-incarceration, earning back his law license and turning his past mistakes into a springboard to help others in similar situations.

In this episode of the Financial Clarity podcast, host Hannah Smolinski engages Jeff Grant in a riveting conversation about resilience, redemption, and making the most out of second chances. They discuss Jeff’s life pre- and post-prison, his journey to regain his law license, and how he founded a support group for white-collar criminals. Jeff shares insights on overcoming stigma, navigating the legal system post-incarceration, and leveraging past mistakes as a unique selling point in his new law practice.

Jeffrey D. Grant, Esq.

GrantLaw, PLLC

GrantLaw. com

jgrant@grantlaw.com

(212) 859-3512

Event: Legal Action Center’s Arthur Liman Public Interest Awards Benefit, NYC, Tues., Nov. 7, 2023

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Join us for Legal Action Center’s Arthur Liman Public Interest Awards Benefit on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at Tribeca Rooftop. Legal Action Center

I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors of Legal Action Center – Jeff

Reserve your tickets now: https://secure.givelively.org/event/legal-action-center/50th-anniversary-arthur-liman-public-interest-awards-benefit

For over half a century, the Legal Action Center has been the only nonprofit law and policy organization in the United States whose sole mission is to fight discrimination against people with arrest or conviction records, substance use disorders, HIV, and AIDS, and to advocate for sound public policies in those areas.

We hope you’ll join us as we build upon our many accomplishments over the past five decades, and work to expand our capacity to advocate for systemic change, set important legal precedents, and provide legal services, education, and training to help people across the country.

Arthur Liman Public Interest Awards Benefit:
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Tribeca Rooftop
10 Desbrosses Street, New York, NY
Cocktail-Style Dinner Reception | 6:00 pm ET
Awards Program | 7:00 pm ET
Business Attire

For more information about our 2023 Arthur Liman Public Interest Awards Benefit, or LAC’s important work, please contact Sang Kim, Deputy Director of Individual & Corporate Giving at skim@lac.org, (212) 243-1313 or email lacbenefit@wingo.nyc.

“Jeff Grant is the Real Deal” – A Testimonial from Evan Osnos of The New Yorker

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I am humbled and grateful to Evan Osnos, Staff Reporter for The New Yorker and author of the book, Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury. You can also read Evan’s New Yorker article, “Life After White Collar Crime”, about our White Collar Support Group here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/30/life-after-white-collar-crime.

“Jeff Grant is the real deal; he’s candid and generous with his wisdom. I can’t imagine there is a lawyer in this country more qualified to consider the complex issues facing people prosecuted for white collar crimes and their families.” – Evan Osnos, The New Yorker

YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series: Elizabeth Kelley, Criminal Defense Attorney for People with Mental Health Disabilities, on Zoom, Tues., Jan. 10, 2023, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT.

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We are honored to have Elizabeth Kelley as the January speaker in our White Collar Support Group Tuesday Speaker Series.

Link to register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckd-mhqT4rG9dQ4J28SDgASUBLtoRvI1fY

Elizabeth Kelley is a criminal defense lawyer based in Spokane, Washington, with a nationwide practice specializing in representing people with mental disabilities. She is the editor of four books published by the American Bar Association (ABA): Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers; Representing People with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers; Suicide and Its Impact on the Criminal Justice System (with Francesca Flood) and Representing People with Dementia: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers, October 2022 (scheduled). She co-chaired The Arc’s National Center for Criminal Justice and Disability Advisory Board and served three terms on the board of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). She is active in the ABA, serving as a Vice President of the Criminal Justice Section Council, the Editorial Board of Criminal Justice Magazine, and having served on the ABA’s Commission on Disability Rights and as an observer at the hearings at Guantanamo. She currently serves as the Editor of the ABA’s Annual publication, The State of Criminal Justice.

Website: www.elizabethkelleylaw.com


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White Collar Week Newsletter Nov ’22: https://conta.cc/3DPDt3b
Sponsored by Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.: https://prisonist.org
Sponsored by GrantLaw, PLLC: https://grantlaw.com
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Rev. Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div. (he, him, his)
Co-founder, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.
Greenwich CT & Nationwide
Mailing: P.O. Box 1, Woodbury, CT 06798
Website: https://prisonist.org
Email: info@prisonist.org
Office: 212-859-3512
Donations (501c3): http://bit.ly/donate35T9kMZ
Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/…/jeff-grant…/731344
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/revjeffgrant
not a prison coach, not a prison consultant
Media Relations: press@grantlaw.com
Speaking Engagements: https://www.espeakers.com/marketplace/profile/39107
Newsletter Contains Attorney Advertising
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
© Copyright 2022, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc., All rights reserved.

Entrepreneur: 9 Things to Know when Hiring a White Collar Criminal Defense Lawyer, by Jeff Grant, Esq.

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Hiring a defense attorney is a monumental task, and most are monumentally unprepared for the effort.

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By Jeff Grant, Reprinted from entrepreneur.com, Sept. 7. 2021

Hiring a white-collar defense lawyer is a monumental task — and one that most entrepreneurs and businesspeople, even those who are sophisticated legal consumers, are monumentally unprepared to do.

I should know.

I’m a lawyer and entrepreneur who became addicted to prescription opioids and served almost 14 months in federal prison for a white-collar crime.

I was disbarred, and then step-by-step, lesson-by-lesson, I worked my way through the ordeal.

On May 5, 2021, my law license was reinstated by the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Here are some takeaways I learned from over three decades of experience on both sides of the legal system:


1. You are in trauma, whether you know it or not


Your entrepreneurship, intellect and survival skills have betrayed you. You are in pain, and will do — and pay — almost anything to make the pain go away. You’ve probably been looking over your shoulder for a long time. It’s normal to be terrified; who wouldn’t be?


Practice point: no matter what you do, the pain is not going away any time soon. Beware of anyone who tells you differently.


2. Long-term plan instead of short-term relief


You know this, but you are probably in fear of what you think is the worst thing that can happen — prison. Prison is not the worst thing that can happen—the worst thing that can happen is not having a comeback story. Keep your eye on the prize. That is, a carefully and thoughtfully constructed long-term plan for health, purpose and prosperity for you and your family. It’s okay (in fact, it’s vital) to give yourself the time and space to step back and make good, thoughtful decisions. You are in the desert, and it will be a long journey to the promised land.


Practice point: This is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself.


3. Your brother-in-law probably knows nothing about hiring a white collar defense lawyer…


…Neither does your dentist, haircutter or almost anyone else. Everyone around you is most likely offering “well-intended advice.” And maybe already picking at your bones. But, there is dependable professional help out there in the form of private general counsel with specific experience in the intricacies of white collar defense and all of the other legal, business, family and emotional issues you are likely to face.


Practice point: These are shark- infested waters and a great general counsel can help you navigate them.


4. There is very little chance that your case will go to trial


Over the past two decades, less than two percent of white collar prosecutions have gone to trial. This means that whether a “trial lawyer” has spent much of the last twenty years as a prosecutor or as a criminal defense attorney, they probably have no (or very little) white collar trial experience. But, we are stuck in an old paradigm where we think we need a trial attorney to swoop in and save the day. This might happen on television, but it almost never happens in real life.


Practice point: Are you suffering from Perry Mason syndrome? Get real, and fast.


5. Ever wonder why lawyers have such fancy offices?


Do you want to pay for expensive overhead (maybe you do) or for excellent lawyering? Isn’t it more important to find out if you and an attorney have a great connection, and can work together? Has your defense attorney taken the time to really understand you and your family, your back story, all of your issues, and your life goals?


Practice point: Are you sure these are the professionals you want to trust with your life?


6. Your criminal defense budget


Your criminal defense lawyer can’t do it all; you’ll need a team. Your defense attorney’s job is to marshal the best resources in order to make a persuasive presentation to the prosecutors, to the probation officer at your pre-sentence investigation, and to the judge.  How much of your criminal defense budget/retainer will be allocated for experts (forensic accountants, investigators, mitigation experts, medical experts, etc.) to give a complete and accurate picture of you, your family and your side of the facts?


Practice point: Make sure you fully understand — and approve — the plan and budget up front.


7. Outside your criminal defense budget


Your issues are most likely way bigger, and more complicated, than just your criminal matter. How much of your overall budget will be allocated for other attorneys and professionals (business attorneys, tax attorneys, bankruptcy lawyers, family law, civil litigation, estate planning, accountants, etc.)? How much of your overall budget will be allocated for other obligations (restitution, fines, forfeiture, taxes, antecedent debt, alimony, child support, etc.)?


Practice point: Your defense attorney’s job is to get you the best sentence — they will probably not help you balance other important issues that need to be addressed. 


8. Does your spouse/significant other need separate counsel?


In a word, yes. Or at least, probably. You’ve been shouldering this thing alone for so long, it’s hard to be a good partner again. Believe it or not, your spouse’s interests are probably not fully aligned with yours. They have their own body of rights that deserve professional attention.


Practice point: Tell the truth, don’t tell your spouse/significant other that everything will be “okay.”


9. Out of isolation and into community


You don’t have to go through this alone. Believe it or not, there is a rich community of people who have been prosecuted for white collar crimes, and their families, who want to give of themselves freely to help you.


Practice point: Don’t be afraid to reach out, join a white collar support group and benefit from the experiences of those who have been there before you.


Jeffrey D. Grant, Esq.

GrantLaw, PLLC, 43 West 43rd Street, Suite 108, New York, NY 10036-7424

(212) 859-3512, jgrant@grantlaw.com, GrantLaw.com

A purpose-driven attorney.

Jeff Grant is on a mission. After a hiatus from practicing law, he is once again in private practice and is committed to using his legal expertise and life experience to benefit others.

Jeff provides a broad range of legal services in a highly attentive, personalized manner. These include private general counsel, white collar crisis management, strategy and team building, services to family-owned and closely-held businesses, and support to special situation and pro bono clients. He practices in New York and on authorized Federal matters, and works with local co-counsel and criminal defense counsel to represent clients throughout country.

For more than 20 years, Jeff served as managing attorney of a 20+ employee law firm headquartered in New York City and then Westchester County, New York. The firm’s practice areas included representing family-owned and closely-held businesses and their owners, business and real estate transactions, trusts and estates, and litigation.

Jeff is admitted to practice law in the State of New York, and in the Federal District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

 

Jeff Grant’s full bio: https://grantlaw.com/bio

Progressive Prison Ministries website: https://prisonist.org

Linked In: https://linkedin.com/revjeffgrant

 

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YouTube Video: White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series – Peter Tomasek, Esq. of Interrogating Justice, On Zoom, Oct. 18, 2022

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We are honored to have Peter Tomasek, Esq., of Interrogating Justice, as the next speaker in our White Collar Support Group Tuesday Speaker Series.

 

 

We were honored to have Peter Tomasek as the next speaker in our White Collar Support Group Tuesday Speaker Series. Peter spoke and answered questions about Early Release, First Step Act Credits, the CARES Act, the Clean Slate Act, and what’s really going on at the BOP and DOJ.

Peter J. Tomasek is an attorney and a writer from Durham, North Carolina. In his current role as Editor-in-Chief for Interrogating Justice and How to Justice, Peter focuses on the BOP’s implementation of the First Step Act’s Time Credits Program, “ban the box” laws and second-chance hiring, and a variety of other topics impacting the U.S. criminal justice system.

Prior to helping start Interrogating Justice and How to Justice, Peter practiced law in Michigan and North Carolina. Among other experiences, Peter spent time with a medium-sized law firm in Metro Detroit, representing attorneys and judges in legal-malpractice and professional-liability lawsuits in state and federal courts across the Midwest.

You can reach Peter by email, on Twitter, and on LinkedIn. To follow his work, please visit Interrogating Justice and How to Justice. Some of my latest articles include How We Talk About Second-Chance Employment, When It Comes To FSA Time Credits, The BOP Always Wins, and Prison Labor: A Billion-Dollar Industry Paying Cents On The Dollar.

 

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