About
Alex N. is a physician-scientist and a member of the White Collar Support Group. He joined the 2026 panel to speak from his own experience with the clemency process.
At the White Collar Conference
Alex N. described preparing his pardon application on his own, without an attorney, and filing it the day after his waiting period ended; President Biden denied the first petition, and a second is pending. He said the application meant revisiting the offense and demonstrating change rather than claiming it, talked about how hard it is to escape the white-collar label, and described consequences that still reach his family a decade later. His advice to applicants was not to build their lives around a successful outcome.
“Demonstrate and not simply claim, but really demonstrate that I've changed.”
Watch at 18:09
“To be honest, no, I do not want my life back.”
Watch at 21:52
“Don't build your life on a successful outcome to this endeavor.”
Watch at 28:14
Chapters
- 0:00 Introducing the panel
- 3:40 Clemency, pardon, commutation and expungement
- 6:36 The state of federal clemency now
- 9:20 White-collar cases and waived restitution
- 11:41 Lobbying replaces the petition process
- 15:05 Alex on applying for a pardon
- 20:00 Alex on the white-collar label
- 22:26 Alex on time away from family
- 24:49 Mark on the outlook for pardons
- 27:34 Advice for pardon applicants
- 30:34 The odds of a grant
With Gregg Johnson (moderator) and Mark Osler
Join us in fall 2027.
The fourth annual White Collar Conference is planned for fall 2027, virtual on Zoom and open to all.