The findings of this study demonstrate that the rhetorical and discursive characteristics of leniency letters, obtained in two United States federal district courthouses, attend court conventions, which require the observance of the judge's face via the use of politeness. This study also demonstrates how in this type of genre, the notion of faith is exploited to make a persuasive request or, more often, to follow-up a request (post-request) for leniency.