The National Paralegal Center’s $25 Case Diagnostic Service is designed for incarcerated individuals and their families who need a knowledgeable, organized, and affordable starting point for understanding a criminal case, conviction, sentence, appeal, post-conviction matter, or other potential legal issue.

Many people know that something went wrong in their case, but they may not know exactly what the legal issue is, what type of motion may apply, whether an issue has already been preserved, or what steps should be taken next.

That is exactly why we created the Case Diagnostic Service.

For only $25, The National Paralegal Center will review the first 50 pages of case-related documents and prepare a preliminary written diagnostic identifying important facts, potential legal issues, procedural concerns, possible constitutional violations, and legal avenues that may deserve further investigation.

If the materials exceed 50 pages, the cost is only $0.50 per additional page after the first 50 pages.

For example:

• 50 pages or fewer: $25
• 60 pages: $30
• 75 pages: $37.50
• 100 pages: $50
• 150 pages: $75
• 200 pages: $100

This pricing structure allows individuals and families to submit as much of the relevant case record as they believe is necessary without having to commit immediately to the cost of a comprehensive legal research or motion-preparation service.

The purpose of the Case Diagnostic Service is simple:

To help you understand what may be legally significant about your case and what direction may be worth pursuing next.

In many criminal and post-conviction cases, the problem is not simply that an unfavorable result occurred. The real issue may be hidden in the procedural history, trial record, sentencing documents, police reports, appellate decision, attorney performance, witness testimony, newly discovered evidence, or a previous court ruling.

An incarcerated person may know that something does not seem right but may not know how that concern translates into a legal claim.

For example, a person may believe:

• Trial counsel failed them;
• A witness lied;
• Evidence was withheld;
• A sentence was calculated incorrectly;
• The prosecutor made improper arguments;
• Police obtained a statement unlawfully;
• A witness later recanted;
• Newly discovered evidence exists;
• An appellate issue was overlooked;
• A previous post-conviction petition did not raise an important issue;
• A judge relied on improper information;
• The sentence exceeds what the law allows;
• Evidence was insufficient;
• The conviction rests on questionable identification evidence; or
• They simply do not know whether any legal remedy remains available.

Our Case Diagnostic Service is intended to take those concerns and organize them into a clearer legal picture.

The National Paralegal Center may review many different types of case-related materials.

Clients may submit documents such as:

• Judgments of conviction;
• Sentencing orders;
• Mittimus or commitment documents;
• Charging documents;
• Indictments;
• Informations;
• Arrest reports;
• Police reports;
• Probable-cause statements;
• Search warrants;
• Affidavits;
• Witness statements;
• Trial transcripts;
• Plea transcripts;
• Sentencing transcripts;
• Suppression-hearing transcripts;
• Post-conviction hearing transcripts;
• Appellate briefs;
• Appellate opinions;
• Supreme Court orders;
• Post-conviction petitions;
• Habeas corpus petitions;
• Previously filed motions;
• Orders denying relief;
• Attorney correspondence;
• Discovery materials;
• Institutional records;
• Sentence-calculation documents;
• Parole records;
• Prison disciplinary records;
• Affidavits from witnesses;
• Recantation statements;
• Newly discovered evidence;
• Medical or forensic records relevant to the conviction;
• Expert reports;
• DNA-related materials;
• Evidence logs;
• Trial exhibits;
• Jury instructions;
• Docket sheets;
• Clerk records; and
• Other documents that may help explain the legal or factual issues involved.
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Clients do not need to know exactly which documents are legally important before submitting them.

That is one of the purposes of the diagnostic review.

If a document appears important, we will consider why it matters and how it may relate to the potential legal issues in the case.

Our review is not limited to simply summarizing what the documents say.

The purpose is to diagnose potential legal problems.

Depending on the case and the documents provided, we may examine whether the materials suggest issues involving:

We may examine whether trial, appellate, or post-conviction counsel appears to have failed to investigate, present, preserve, or properly litigate an important issue.

Examples may include:

• Failure to investigate witnesses;
• Failure to call an available witness;
• Failure to present an alibi;
• Failure to seek suppression of evidence;
• Failure to object to improper testimony;
• Failure to challenge identification evidence;
• Failure to investigate forensic evidence;
• Failure to request an appropriate jury instruction;
• Failure to preserve an issue for appeal;
• Failure to communicate a plea offer;
• Failure to investigate mitigation;
• Failure to challenge sentencing errors; or
• Failure to raise an available appellate claim.

We may examine whether new information could support further litigation, including:

• Witness recantations;
• New eyewitnesses;
• Newly discovered documents;
• Newly available scientific evidence;
• New forensic evidence;
• Evidence identifying another suspect;
• New impeachment evidence;
• Evidence showing police coercion;
• Evidence that a witness received undisclosed consideration; or
• Evidence that was not reasonably available at the time of trial.

Where appropriate, the diagnostic may identify whether newly discovered evidence or weaknesses in the prosecution's case could potentially support an actual-innocence claim.

We may examine whether the materials suggest that:

• Favorable evidence was withheld;
• Impeachment evidence was not disclosed;
• Benefits or promises to witnesses were concealed;
• False or misleading testimony was presented; or
• The prosecution failed to correct testimony it knew or should have known was false.

We may identify potential constitutional concerns arising from:

• Fundamentally unfair proceedings;
• Improper admission of evidence;
• Prosecutorial misconduct;
• Judicial bias;
• Improper restrictions on defense evidence;
• Unfair identification procedures;
• Coerced testimony;
• Improper use of unreliable evidence; or
• Other circumstances affecting the fairness of the proceedings.

The documents may reveal concerns involving:

• Search warrants;
• Warrantless searches;
• Probable cause;
• Vehicle searches;
• Home searches;
• Cell-phone searches;
• Seizures of property;
• Suppression issues; or
• Fourth Amendment violations.

We may review issues involving:

• Miranda warnings;
• Custodial interrogation;
• Coerced confessions;
• Involuntary statements;
• Juvenile interrogations;
• Invocation of counsel;
• Invocation of the right to remain silent; or
• Improper interrogation methods.

The diagnostic may identify concerns involving:

• Photo arrays;
• Lineups;
• Show-ups;
• Suggestive identification procedures;
• Cross-racial identification issues;
• Witness uncertainty;
• Changing descriptions;
• Delayed identification;
• Police influence; or
• Lack of corroborating evidence.

Potential issues may include:

• Improper closing arguments;
• Misstatement of evidence;
• Improper burden shifting;
• Improper vouching;
• Inflammatory remarks;
• Use of false evidence;
• Improper witness examination; or
• Failure to disclose favorable evidence.

We may examine whether there appears to be a concern involving:

• An unauthorized sentence;
• Incorrect sentencing range;
• Improper enhancement;
• Improper consecutive sentencing;
• Miscalculated credit;
• Improper extended-term sentencing;
• Incorrect mandatory minimum;
• Juvenile or youthful-offender sentencing principles;
• Improper consideration of aggravating factors;
• Failure to consider mitigation; or
• Constitutional sentencing concerns.

The diagnostic may help identify whether the case potentially involves:

• State post-conviction relief;
• Successive post-conviction relief;
• Habeas corpus;
• Coram nobis;
• Motions to vacate judgment;
• Motions to correct sentence;
• Motions based on newly discovered evidence;
• DNA or forensic-testing motions;
• Actual-innocence petitions;
• Sentence-credit motions;
• Conviction Integrity Unit submissions;
• Clemency;
• Commutation;
• Parole-related relief; or
• Federal habeas corpus.

The exact procedure varies significantly by state, jurisdiction, procedural history, and the age of the conviction.

The Case Diagnostic Service is intended to give the client more than a simple answer of whether the case appears "good" or "bad."

The client receives a written Case Diagnostic Summary explaining the preliminary findings.

Depending upon the materials provided, the summary may include the following:

We will identify the basic procedural and factual history that can be determined from the documents.

This may include:

• Charges;
• Conviction;
• Sentence;
• Trial or plea information;
• Appellate history;
• Post-conviction history;
• Relevant court rulings; and
• Current procedural posture.

We identify facts that may be legally significant rather than merely repeating the entire record.

This can help the client understand which facts may matter most if further legal action is considered.

Where the documents reveal a potential concern, we identify the issue and explain why it may deserve further consideration.

Where appropriate, we identify possible issues involving constitutional protections such as:

• Due process;
• Effective assistance of counsel;
• Confrontation;
• Compulsory process;
• Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures;
• Protection against compelled self-incrimination;
• Equal protection; and
• Other applicable constitutional protections.

A claim can be legally significant but still face procedural obstacles.

For that reason, we may also identify concerns involving:

• Filing deadlines;
• Statutes of limitation;
• Waiver;
• Forfeiture;
• Procedural default;
• Successive-petition requirements;
• Exhaustion;
• Preservation;
• Res judicata;
• Prior adjudication; or
• Jurisdiction.

Understanding these issues early can be extremely important.

If the documents suggest that a particular legal remedy may apply, the diagnostic can identify that possible direction.

Examples may include:

• Post-conviction petition;
• Successive post-conviction petition;
• State habeas corpus;
• Federal habeas corpus;
• Motion to vacate;
• Motion to correct an illegal sentence;
• Motion for sentence credit;
• Motion for reconsideration;
• Newly discovered evidence petition;
• Actual-innocence claim;
• DNA testing motion;
• Coram nobis petition;
• Appellate filing;
• Conviction Integrity Unit application;
• Clemency petition;
• Commutation application;
• Administrative remedy; or
• Other appropriate legal action.

One of the most valuable portions of the diagnostic is determining what should happen next.

The recommendation may include:

• Conducting more focused legal research;
• Reviewing additional transcripts;
• Examining a particular hearing;
• Obtaining affidavits;
• Developing newly discovered evidence;
• Investigating a witness;
• Reviewing sentencing records;
• Examining prior counsel's performance;
• Preparing a particular motion;
• Preparing a post-conviction petition;
• Preparing a habeas corpus petition;
• Developing a clemency presentation; or
• Conducting a comprehensive case review.

A client does not need to know the name of the motion, statute, constitutional amendment, or legal theory before requesting a Case Diagnostic.

You may simply know:

"My lawyer did not call an important witness."

"A witness changed his story."

"The State withheld something."

"My sentence does not seem correct."

"I have new evidence."

"My appeal was denied and I do not know what to do next."

"I believe I am being held beyond my lawful release date."

"I filed post-conviction before, but important issues were never raised."

"Someone has now admitted that their trial testimony was false."

"The police pressured me into making a statement."

"My lawyer never investigated my defense."

Or simply:

"I need someone to look at my case and tell me what may be wrong."

That is enough to begin.

The purpose of the diagnostic is to help translate the facts and concerns of the client into potential legal issues that can be evaluated more carefully.

One of the greatest pro

blems facing incarcerated individuals is that they often spend months or years attempting to determine what motion they should file.

Family members may receive conflicting information from different sources.

A prisoner may hear about a particular case or new law and assume that it applies without knowing whether the facts or procedural history actually fit.

Others may continue filing motions without first identifying the strongest available issue.

The Case Diagnostic Service is designed to provide a more organized starting point.

Instead of guessing about what legal remedy might apply, the client can have the available documents reviewed and receive a preliminary explanation of what issues appear most important.

The first 50 pages are included in the $25 diagnostic fee.

When additional documents are needed or the client wants us to review a larger portion of the record, additional pages are charged at only:

This means clients are not forced to limit themselves to 50 pages if additional documents may be important.

For example, if an appellate opinion is 35 pages and a critical sentencing transcript is another 40 pages, the client can submit both rather than choosing one and potentially leaving out information necessary to understand the case.

The additional-page fee allows us to expand the review while maintaining an affordable pricing structure.

The service is available to:

• Prisoners In State (DOC) or Federal (BOP) Custody

A family member may submit documents on behalf of an incarcerated loved one.

A previous denial does not necessarily mean that there is nothing left to examine.

The diagnostic may be useful even where:

• The direct appeal has already been denied;
• A petition for rehearing was denied;
• A state supreme court declined review;
• A prior post-conviction petition was denied;
• A previous habeas petition was unsuccessful;
• The conviction occurred many years ago; or
• The client has already attempted several forms of relief.

In these situations, procedural limitations may be significant, but the purpose of the diagnostic is to determine whether there is anything in the available materials that deserves further examination.

A Case Diagnostic may be particularly valuable when something has changed since trial or sentencing.

Examples include:

• A witness recants;
• A new witness comes forward;
• A co-defendant provides new information;
• New forensic evidence becomes available;
• Police misconduct is discovered;
• A previously unavailable document surfaces;
• New information reveals that a witness received a benefit;
• A new appellate decision changes an important area of law;
• A sentence-calculation discrepancy is discovered; or
• New evidence calls the prosecution's original theory into question.

The sooner potentially important new information is evaluated, the easier it may be to determine what procedural options should be considered.

Legal documents can be difficult to understand.

Court opinions, procedural rules, and post-conviction statutes often use terminology that may make it difficult for a prisoner or family member to determine what actually happened.

Our goal is to make the diagnostic useful.

Where possible, findings are explained in organized and understandable language so that the client knows:

What we found.

Why it may matter.

What potential problem exists.

What obstacle may exist.

What type of legal action may potentially address it.

What we recommend considering next.

Sometimes the most valuable answer is determining that a particular legal strategy is unlikely to be the best direction.

For example, a client may believe a habeas corpus petition is appropriate when the actual issue is better suited for post-conviction relief.

Another client may believe the sentence itself is illegal when the documents instead reveal a sentence-credit calculation issue.

Another may want to raise ineffective assistance when newly discovered evidence presents a potentially stronger avenue.

Identifying the correct legal direction at the beginning can help the client make a more informed decision before spending money on extensive document preparation.

The Case Diagnostic Service is a preliminary review service.

It does not automatically include:

• Preparation of a motion;
• Preparation of a petition;
• Preparation of an appellate brief;
• Preparation of a complete post-conviction petition;
• Preparation of a federal habeas petition;
• Court filing;
• Attorney representation;
• Court appearances;
• Communication with the prosecutor;
• Communication with opposing counsel;
• Representation at hearings;
• Full-scale investigation;
• Unlimited legal research; or
• A complete review of an entire multi-volume court record unless the additional pages are submitted and paid for.

These services may be available separately depending on the findings of the diagnostic and the needs of the client.

A Case Diagnostic identifies potential legal issues and possible avenues for further consideration.

It cannot guarantee that:

• A court will accept a filing;
• A procedural bar can be overcome;
• An evidentiary hearing will be granted;
• A conviction will be reversed;
• A sentence will be reduced;
• A new trial will be granted;
• A prisoner will be released; or
• Any particular legal outcome will occur.

Criminal and post-conviction cases are highly fact-specific.

Courts may consider procedural history, filing deadlines, waiver, prior litigation, credibility, evidentiary rules, standards of review, and many other factors.

Our role in the diagnostic process is to help identify and organize the potential issues so the client can make an informed decision about what to do next.

Because before deciding what to file, it is often necessary to first determine what the real legal problem is.

The Case Diagnostic Service provides an affordable way to begin that process.

For only $25 for the first 50 pages, a client can have case documents reviewed for potential legal issues rather than continuing to wonder whether something important has been overlooked.

And where more documentation is necessary, the cost remains accessible at only $0.50 per page after the first 50 pages.

The diagnostic can provide:

• Direction;
• Greater understanding;
• Identification of potential legal issues;
• Recognition of procedural problems;
• Identification of possible remedies;
• A clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of a potential claim; and
• A practical recommendation concerning what should be considered next.

For many families, that information can provide something extremely important:

A clear starting point.

The National Paralegal Center believes that incarcerated individuals and their families should be able to obtain an affordable preliminary assessment before deciding whether to invest in extensive legal-document preparation.

Not every person is ready for a full post-conviction petition.

Not every family knows what motion is needed.

Not every prisoner has access to hundreds or thousands of dollars for a comprehensive review.

But everyone should have an opportunity to better understand what may be happening in their case.

That is the purpose of the $25 Case Diagnostic Service.

First 50 pages: $25 flat fee

Each additional page after the first 50 pages: $0.50 per page

There is no need to stop at 50 pages if additional materials are important to understanding the case.

If the review identifies an issue that appears appropriate for further development, The National Paralegal Center is available to provide additional services, including legal research, case analysis, legal strategy development, and preparation of appropriate motions, petitions, and other legal documents.

The client can then decide whether to proceed with additional work after having a much clearer understanding of the potential issues in the case.

Start with the documents you have.

You do not need to know the legal terminology.

You do not need to know which motion should be filed.

You do not need to have the entire court record before asking for an initial review.

Send the materials that appear most relevant, explain the concern as clearly as possible, and allow The National Paralegal Center to begin identifying the issues that may deserve closer examination.

First 50 pages included — $25

Additional pages — only $0.50 per page

Preliminary case review

Potential legal issues identified

Procedural concerns identified

Possible legal remedies evaluated

Recommended next steps provided

For incarcerated individuals and families who are uncertain where to begin, the Case Diagnostic Service provides an affordable and practical first step toward understanding the case and determining what may be possible next.

Imagine someone named James who was convicted of drug-related charges a few years ago. James believes that several legal errors occurred during his trial, including ineffective assistance from his defense attorney and possible evidence mishandling. He is currently incarcerated and cannot afford a full-time attorney, but he wants to file a post-conviction motion to challenge the conviction. James needs professional help to review his case and provide guidance on the best legal grounds to pursue, allowing him to proceed independently.

How the Process Would Work for James

1. Initial Contact & Case Materials
   James reaches out to The National Paralegal Center, requesting assistance. He mails copies of his trial transcripts, discovery materials, and any other relevant legal documents, along with a detailed letter explaining the issues he believes impacted his trial—such as ineffective counsel and the possibility of withheld evidence by the prosecution. James also expresses his intention to file a post-conviction motion but is unsure how to proceed on his own.
2. Case Review
   Upon receiving James’s materials, our team carefully reviews his trial transcripts and supporting documentation. We examine the facts of the case, identify potential legal errors, and explore any violations of his constitutional rights, such as claims of ineffective legal representation or prosecutorial misconduct.
3. In-Depth Legal Research
   After reviewing the case, we perform thorough legal research to find relevant case law and legal precedents that may apply to James’s situation. For example, we explore successful claims of ineffective counsel or prosecutorial misconduct in similar cases to determine the best strategies James can use.
4. Preparing the Legal Memorandum
   With our research complete, we draft a detailed legal memorandum. This document outlines the facts of James’s case, highlights any legal errors we identified, and references applicable case law. The memorandum offers specific legal grounds James can use to file his motion or appeal, such as arguing ineffective counsel or other violations. It also provides clear, actionable next steps for filing his post-conviction motion pro se (on his own).
5. Delivery of the Memorandum
   Once the legal memorandum is complete, we send it back to James. This comprehensive document now serves as his roadmap for challenging his conviction, offering him expert guidance on the legal arguments and steps he needs to take, even if he is unfamiliar with legal processes.
6. Contract and Payment Process
   To commence the process, James first receives a service agreement contract. This contract outlines the terms of our services, including the scope of work (case review, legal research, memorandum preparation), total fees, and the payment plan. For instance, the total fee might be $400, with a minimum deposit of $50 to begin. The contract also specifies that James will make ongoing payments based on our flexible payment options, which can be made in installments as he receives updates on his case progress.
   Once James reviews and signs the contract, he submits the initial deposit, and our team begins the diagnostic process.
7. Ongoing Support
   James receives a comprehensive legal memorandum that breaks down complex legal concepts and strategies in a way he can understand. Should he need additional help or updates, he has the option to reach out for further support, and we provide regular case updates as needed.