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The best character witness has known you for years and watched you do something specific, whatever their title. For me, those people were the clients on Ventura Boulevard I had stopped calling.
Half our clients stayed behind
Kenny negotiated a seven-figure bonus for us to move our book from Bear Stearns, on Avenue of the Stars, across the street to UBS on Century Park East. I told him to take it. I'd been taking commissions I hadn't earned, and nobody had found out. A new firm felt like a clean slate.
We started at UBS on June 16, 2001.
A bonus like that isn't a gift. It's a forgivable loan, paid against what they expect you to produce, and you owe taxes on it every year. Some months I had to bring in $20,000 or $30,000 before I saw a dollar of my own paycheck.
Six months in, only about half our clients had followed us. I kept calling. "Hi Kay, it's Justin. I've sent you the transfer paperwork a few times."
When you leave a firm, the branch manager hands your accounts to other brokers within minutes, and they start calling your clients that afternoon. One of mine finally told me why she was staying.
"We think you're kind. We think you're sharp. But we feel like you forgot about us. As you got bigger, you forgot about someone like me who helped you get started."
Judge Bennett told Michael he would rather read a letter from a janitor who has known a defendant for ten years than from a senator writing as a favor to the family.
The people who had known me longest were the ones I'd stopped calling.
What to do this week
Call three people who stood by you before any of this. Thank them. Don't ask for a letter. Don't mention what you need. Then add one line to your profile: who you called, and why they matter to you.
Questions people ask
Who should write a character letter for federal sentencing?
People who have known you a long time and can describe what they saw you do: family, longtime coworkers, people you served. Detail matters more than titles.
Should I ask for a letter the first time I call someone?
No. Thank them first. Letters can come later, as part of the plan you and your lawyer build.
Related: Casey Crowther's 14 letters came from his roofing crews, his hurricane jobs, and the families of the kids he coached in youth football: Character reference letters federal sentencing
Read next: Part 7: How Do You Acknowledge Victims You Never Met at Sentencing?
Written by
Justin Paperny
Founder White Collar Advice
