One does not "craft a defense" but "prepares an appeal". I hope that person who he is working with is a qualified gun attorney like Langer, Guida, or Tassel (with apologies to those I forgot to include). The first step is getting all the actual records of the case (criminal record from the state; certified court records of the case; case transcript if available; document showing precise disposition; etc.). If he can track these down it will reduce his legal fees.
Many times the attorney will negotiate with the licensing authority and work things out.
But, remember, the deck is stacked. The state courts have consistently held that charges that were dropped or for which one is found not guilty; heresay; a history of being abducted by aliens; and even exercising one's right to remain silent when questioned are all valid reasons for denying or revoking an LTC, and that the only issue is "did the issuing authority have a reason, any reason, that is not totally arbitrary" and the role of the court is not to re-evaluate or second guess that decision.
