Free Resource
Most filings that fail never reach a judge on the merits. They fail on a deadline, a missing copy, an unexhausted remedy, or the wrong court. These checklists cover the mechanics — what the rules actually require, and in what order.
Step by step checklist for a § 2255 motion: the one-year clock, what the motion must contain, how many copies, and what happens after filing.
Open the checklist → § 2241 petitionChecklist for a § 2241 petition on how the BOP is carrying out a sentence: the remedy deadlines to clear first, where to file, and who to name.
Open the checklist → § 2254 petitionChecklist for a § 2254 petition: the right respondent, the fee or trust account certificate, the one-year clock, and the standard on the other side.
Open the checklist → Compassionate releaseWhat to gather before filing for compassionate release under § 3582(c)(1)(A), including asking the BOP first and the arguments closed off in 2026.
Open the checklist → FSA time creditsHow to challenge a BOP time credit calculation: what he should be earning, the administrative remedy steps, and when it becomes a § 2241 petition.
Open the checklist → Getting court recordsHow to get federal docket sheets and court filings through PACER: what it costs, the quarterly waiver that makes most use free, and what's always free.
Open the checklist →Need the form itself? Every official fillable PDF is in the federal court forms library — unmodified, with a link to the issuing authority. We never recreate or reformat a government form.
