Last Updated on: 28th July 2023, 07:21 pm

Our lawyers who specialize in security clearance regularly help employees and contractors of the federal government with all stages of the security clearance process. We assist you in obtaining confidential, secret, or top secret security clearance.
Gaining security clearance at any level is a true sign that the government trusts you. Over the last decade, the federal government has added many to the number and type of positions that require security clearances, making it harder for people to get or keep a job in federal agencies.
The application process as well as the clearance renewal process includes an extensive and thorough background investigation into your personal life and financial history. Anything from traffic offenses to credit card debt can be questioned.  Also, your security clearance can get taken away due to factors that call your ability to work in a sensitive position into question. 
Federal employees, contractors and military personnel can count on us in all phases of the security clearance process.  We’ve helped hundreds retain their clearances. Each of our security clearance specialists once had security clearances – meaning they comprehend the process from the inside. Our attorneys provide counsel during the whole security clearance application, revocation and appeals process, including:

1. SF-86 and DD Form 1879 Pre-Clearance Counseling
2. Help you prepare for interrogatories and investigative interviews
3. Preparation of response to the Statement of Reasons and Denial Letters
4. Preparation and representation throughout further appeals
5. Representation at post-denial hearings in front of the DoD, FBI, CIA, DHS, Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals (DOHA), federal courts and agencies
6. Document and witness preparation for hearings

If you are soon to file for your own security clearance or recently received denial or revocation, our lawyers can give you the counsel necessary to gain and maintain your clearance and your position.
A lawyer with experience reviewing records and preparing written appeals will help you as long as you are not a security threat and should be granted the security clearance.

Use of Drugs | Security Clearance Lawyers
Some potentially disqualifying actions related to drug use include:

• Use of or contact with any drugs or other controlled substances listed in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970
• History of drug abuse
• Drug test with positive result
• Drug offense convictions on your record such as sale, possession, distribution, cultivation or manufacture
• Expression of intent to continue drug use
• Failure to complete a substance abuse treatment program

Authorities may deny your security clearance due to the fact that drug use could be evidence of untrustworthiness. Alcoholism and other substance abuse problems can cause lapses in judgment and lack of self-control, which is enough to disqualify an applicant from security clearance. 

Use of Alcohol & Security Clearance
Although alcohol is legal, proof of alcoholism can be disqualifying nonetheless; for example:

• Convictions for Driving Under the influence (DUI)
• Alcohol-related incidents on the job
• History/reputation of habitual drinking or binge drinking
• Arrests or incidents such as child abuse, spouse abuse, or disturbing the peace
• Diagnosis from a qualified medical professional of alcohol abuse or dependency

Although DUI crime on your record could disqualify you, there are other factors that could reduce your likelihood of a security clearance denial related to your DUI include:

1. Your ability to demonstrate that the behavior that resulted in the DUI is not an accurate representation of your present patterns of behavior
2. How long ago the  incident occurred
3. What steps you have since taken to move beyond any substance abuse issues

RESPONDING TO INTERROGATORIES IN THE SECURITY CLEARANCE INVESTIGATION PROCESS

How to Respond to Interrogatories
The Defense Security Service (DSS) will issue you a security clearance only if a proper investigation has been executed. The reason for this investigation is to determine that granting you security clearance is in indeed the country’s best interest. If specific matters turn out to be unresolved by the investigator, your file gets dispatched to the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO), whereby an adjudicator might send you a set of questions they want you to answer. This list of questions is referred to as interrogatories.
Under what circumstances would I receive interrogatories?
Contractors are customarily asked to reply to interrogatories as a formality of the interview process. In a small number of cases, full-time government employees may also get this list of questions. They would need to answer them before they can be granted a security clearance.
Responding to these questions is paramount if you wish to get clearance from the DoD.
How You Should Answer Interrogatories in the Course of the Security Clearance
During the process of investigation, you should know that your entire life is examined like an open book. Investigators will delve deep into your personal, financial and criminal histories to paint a clearer picture of who you are, the content of your character, and to figure out whether or not you are a security risk.
Interrogatories are dispatched as a normal step in the process to further assess your security clearance eligibility when specific factors turn up, such as family members who lives in a foreign country (Foreign Influence), unsettled debts (Financial), past use of drugs (Personal Conduct), and minor convictions (Criminal Conduct).
In your response to interrogatories, it is crucial for you to:
Be Completely Honest
This is the worst time for you to “forget” to mention a questionable detail about your past, nor is it a good idea to mislead investigators in any fashion. For example, if you have a history of drug use in your college days, every occurrence of that drug use, including what drugs you took,where you took them, who you took them with, and other specifics need to be detailed in full or else a red flag could go up if a discrepancy in your account is later revealed.
Bear in mind that security clearance is not your right. Just the fact that you got clearance doesn’t say that it can’t be revoked down the line if a current or past security problem should arise. Examples of this include a past arrest, unreported drug use, and employee misconduct. Telling the full truth on your interrogatory questions and putting your entire past before the DoD is always the best way to go.
Be Clear
Vagueness will just raise red flags that might lead to your clearance being denied or later revoked. For instance, if you have siblings in foreign countries, be crystal clear about your connections and interactions with those relatives so that you successfully put to rest any questions regarding foreign influence. Better you provide more details than less, as the latter tactic will only cause greater scrutiny on your character and history.
Be Thorough
The burden of proof is on you to demonstrate that you are qualified for security clearance. In addition to being honest and completely clear about all security clearance issues, you could support your claims by providing documentation, including as bank statements to demonstrate that you are handling your financial difficulties with integrity. The more proof you can furnish, the higher the chances are of you obtaining the security clearance you need.
Enlist Qualified Help
When you are capable of answering their questions fully and honestly, you could get a security clearance without being required to submit to a DOHA hearing.
If your responses are deemed insufficient, and the problems with your application are still not resolved, they will send you a Statement of Reasons (SOR).
These cases are complex.  They call for the services of experienced security clearance attorneys. Security Clearance Law Group can be there for you.  We respond to your interrogatory questions and all other problems that might come along in the investigation process. Contact us right away to review your case.
Give us a Call Today!
RESPONDING TO INTERROGATORIES IN THE SECURITY CLEARANCE INVESTIGATION PROCESS

How to Respond to Interrogatories
The Defense Security Service (DSS) will issue you a security clearance only if a proper investigation has been executed. The reason for this investigation is to determine that granting you security clearance is in indeed the country’s best interest. If specific matters turn out to be unresolved by the investigator, your file gets dispatched to the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO), whereby an adjudicator might send you a set of questions they want you to answer. This list of questions is referred to as interrogatories.

Under what circumstances would I receive interrogatories?
Contractors are customarily asked to reply to interrogatories as a formality of the interview process. In a small number of cases, full-time government employees may also get this list of questions. They would need to answer them before they can be granted a security clearance.

Responding to these questions is paramount if you wish to get clearance from the DoD.

How You Should Answer Interrogatories in the Course of the Security Clearance
During the process of investigation, you should know that your entire life is examined like an open book. Investigators will delve deep into your personal, financial and criminal histories to paint a clearer picture of who you are, the content of your character, and to figure out whether or not you are a security risk.

Interrogatories are dispatched as a normal step in the process to further assess your security clearance eligibility when specific factors turn up, such as family members who lives in a foreign country (Foreign Influence), unsettled debts (Financial), past use of drugs (Personal Conduct), and minor convictions (Criminal Conduct).

In your response to interrogatories, it is crucial for you to:

Be Completely Honest

This is the worst time for you to “forget” to mention a questionable detail about your past, nor is it a good idea to mislead investigators in any fashion. For example, if you have a history of drug use in your college days, every occurrence of that drug use, including what drugs you took, where you took them, who you took them with, and other specifics need to be detailed in full or else a red flag could go up if a discrepancy in your account is later revealed.

Bear in mind that security clearance is not your right. Just the fact that you got clearance doesn’t say that it can’t be revoked down the line if a current or past security problem should arise. Examples of this include a past arrest, unreported drug use, and employee misconduct. Telling the full truth on your interrogatory questions and putting your entire past before the DoD is always the best way to go.

Be Clear

Vagueness will just raise red flags that might lead to your clearance being denied or later revoked. For instance, if you have siblings in foreign countries, be crystal clear about your connections and interactions with those relatives so that you successfully put to rest any questions regarding foreign influence. Better you provide more details than less, as the latter tactic will only cause greater scrutiny on your character and history.

Be Thorough

The burden of proof is on you to demonstrate that you are qualified for security clearance. In addition to being honest and completely clear about all security clearance issues, you could support your claims by providing documentation, including as bank statements to demonstrate that you are handling your financial difficulties with integrity. The more proof you can furnish, the higher the chances are of you obtaining the security clearance you need.

Enlist Qualified Help

When you are capable of answering their questions fully and honestly, you could get a security clearance without being required to submit to a DOHA hearing.

If your responses are deemed insufficient, and the problems with your application are still not resolved, they will send you a Statement of Reasons (SOR).

These cases are complex.  They call for the services of experienced security clearance attorneys. Security Clearance Law Group can be there for you.  We respond to your interrogatory questions and all other problems that might come along in the investigation process. Contact us right away to review your case.

Give us a Call Today!

FBI Security Clearance Lawyers

Obtaining a security clearance from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) may be a requirement for one’s position.  Examples of this include law enforcement personnel on the federal, state, and local levels. Some other people  outside of the realm of law enforcement may also be obligated to get an FBI security clearance. In actuality, after the attacks on United States soil on Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI revamped its security clearance procedures.  They implemented an initiative to encourage security clearances for civilian public officials with a “need-to-know” clearance for their access to classified information.

The attorneys here at The Lawscape, Law Firm assist individuals in gaining FBI security clearances.  There are two levels of clearance to be had: “Secret” and “Top Secret.” With more than 40 years of experience in representing security clearance applicants successfully, Lawscape has built up a large knowledge bank in the discipline of FBI security clearance issues and cases.

You are strongly encouraged to contact our FBI security clearance lawyers to set up a consultation with regards to your case.

Gaining Access to Classified Information
In the aftermath of 9/11, the FBI began the “State and Local Law Enforcement Executives and Elected Officials Security Clearance Initiative.” The initiative makes it possible for state and local officials to obtain briefings on classified information that may affect the region they serve, once they have gained the requisite security clearance.

The process for obtaining an FBI security clearance requires completing the same form-the Standard Form 86 (SF 86)-that the majority of other kinds of security clearances require.  Applicants are also obligated to complete the Questionnaire for National Security Positions. The process begins at the local FBI office nearest to the applicant.

Each Applicant Undergoes an The FBI Background Investigation
A detailed background investigation and records check are carried out for every security clearance applicant, even if he or she holds an executive-level position with a law enforcement agency.  This happens regardless of whether the agency conducted its own investigation at hiring or not. The background investigation is obligatory with no exceptions, and it applies for both Top Secret and Secret FBI security clearance levels. As Lawscape would explain, numerous FBI security clearance applications slow down at the background investigation point.

Here are the areas of an applicant’s life that are checked for an FBI security clearance:

1. The applicant’s citizenship and that of his/her family members
2. Verification of birth-date and location
3. Education history-every institution, and all records
4. History of residences
5. Employment history
6. Financial records-including credit history, bankruptcies and debt delinquency
7. Mental health history
8. History regarding alcohol and/or illegal drug use
9. Military service
10. Periods spent in a foreign country
11. Relatives or friends in foreign countries
12. Interviews of relatives, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and ex-spouses

The FBI may reject or delay an applicant’s security clearance on the basis of any information that is incomplete, false or inconsequential. Individuals who have concern about handling the FBI security process can rely upon Lawscape for the experienced and skilled representation they require.

To learn more about your FBI security clearance, reach out to a security clearance specialist at our office today.

Security Clearance: Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
Highly Regarded Attorneys for National Security Clearance

You may have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the past.  This could be a concern if you are seeking eligibility for a security clearance.  Don’t worry, The Edmunds Law Firm can answer your questions and you can have peace of mind. A DUI on your record does not automatically render you unqualified for a security clearance. Each case is different, so how this can affect your eligibility depends on the details of your unique situation.

Some factors that could have an effect on your security clearance eligibility:

• What help you have since sought for any substance abuse issues
• How long ago it happened
• If your behavior in the past is demonstrative of your behavior in the present

Successfully gaining security clearance also relies heavily upon who you select to represent you. Hiring a skilled security clearance attorney to represent you through the adjudicative process is a critical step. Here at The Edmund Law Firm, our lawyers are esteemed across the nation for the assistance we furnish to individuals.  We dutifully serve those who seek security clearance and those who need to gain it.

How Can a DUI Impact Security Clearance?
The presence of a DUI on your record is not in and of itself a sufficient reason to deny an individual security clearance. Nevertheless, as per The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations § 147.9, Guideline G, having committed a DUI can be evidence of a person’s ongoing failure to make good decisions and general irresponsibility. For this reason, it is relevant how long ago the arrest occurred and the nature of all connected activities following a DUI.  These are very important variables.

Here are some conditions that may make it more difficult to obtain a security clearance:

• Alcohol-related incidents on a job site
• Further alcohol-related incidents away from work, such as fighting, child or spousal abuse, and other criminal behavior
• Continuing to drink after being diagnosed as an alcoholic
• Diagnosis of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence by a licensed medical professional

These are some circumstances that might reduce your difficulty in obtaining a security clearance:

• The DUI happened years ago
• Drinking is not a pattern of behavior
• Positive changes in your behavior 
• After a diagnosis as an alcoholic, you successfully completed a treatment program, and have participated frequently in Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar program

Since 1976, We Have Specialized in National Security Clearance Law
Our team At The Edmunds Law Firm has more than four decades of experience in taking care of matters in the field of security clearance. We are available to review your behavior and other aspects of your conduct to demonstrate that you have overcome your past. We are a top-rated law firm with a track record of favorable verdicts, so you can be assured that your matter will be in capable hands with us.

Reach out to us at (800) 481-2526 to set up a consultation with a qualified security clearance attorney today.

Lawyers for Military Security Clearance
Nationally Recognized Security Clearance Firm for Military Members Across the Country

Military security clearances make up around four out of every five security clearance matters. The Spodek Law Firm has a wealth of experience in representing both individuals who are making their first application for a military security clearance, as well as people who are attempting to keep their military security clearances. Our attorneys who specialize in security clearance can give you advantageous and helpful representation for your military security clearance.

When a Military Security Clearance is Revoked
Because details about first-time applications for a security clearance are dealt with elsewhere on this site, our focus here will be on maintaining a military security clearance. Having this kind of security clearance is one of the most valuable parts of a person’s military service. It is given on the basis of a thorough investigation of the applicant’s eligibility for a security clearance.  Therefore, the possibility of that clearance being revoked, or of any higher-level security clearance application being denied, is a matter of great importance. The military career and post-military future of such a person will be hugely impacted by this.

Seemingly Minor Reasons for Denial
There are a number of reasons an adjudicator could use in their decision to  deny or revoke a military security clearance. The disqualifying reasons may appear to be relatively minor.

Among the most common reasons for denial/revocation include:

• Financial difficulties, even those that occurred many years ago
• Use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs, even if not proven
• Connections to family and/or friends in countries that may pose a security risk
• Misuse of a government computer – for example, using a social website such as Facebook or viewing YouTube or pornography while on the job

Legal Representation Is Critical
If a person gets notified that his or her military security clearance has been revoked, it is paramount to bring in a knowledgeable, experienced legal representative. Our attorneys have helped security clearance applicants gain or keep their clearance. Get in touch with The Spodek Law Firm to set up a confidential discussion of your military security clearance case. Carry the written notification of your military security clearance denial or revocation along with you, in addition to all other relevant details that you have for a thorough review of your case.

Appealing Could Be the Next Step. Our Firm Can Help.
Exercising your right to an appeal of your security clearance denial/revocation may be the next move we make. The process for an appeal relies in part on the branch of the military involved. Each individual’s case has its own specific circumstances, but the applicable laws furnish a consistent structure that can be handled by an attorney with years of experience in this area. To talk about the unique details of your matter, reach out to a military security clearance lawyer at Spodek.

Government Security Clearance Attorneys
Best Lawyer for Government Security Clearance Applications in the US

Any individual who needs to gain or maintain a government security clearance will discover a rare abundance of legal acumen at The Lawscape Law Firm. We boast more than four decades of experience representing hundreds of government security clearance applicants successfully.  Our in-house specialist, has established a nationally esteemed reputation as a government security clearance specialist. Get more information about how we can improve and enhance your application.

We can help achieve the government security clearance goals of civilians, active-duty members of the United States military, contractors, and employees of the government in every region across America. Lawscape possesses a great deal of experience in handling cases involving any of the government agencies who distribute security clearances at any and every stage of the security clearance process.

Knowledge, Experience and a Record of Success
Locking down a government security clearance, whether for an individual or a facility, is often rather challenging, especially in the current post-9/11 security climate. Due to the fact that gaining or maintaining one’s security clearance has such a great impact on an individual’s future, it is critical to have skilled legal counsel and knowledgeable representation when handling these types of matters. Lawscape has earned himself a wealth of experience with respect to government security clearances, to his clients’ benefit.

Which Government Agencies Issue Security Clearances?
The government issues security clearances via:

1. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
2. Department of Defense (DoD)
3. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
4. Department of Energy (DoE)
5. Department of Justice (DoJ)

The great majority of government security clearances are issued by the DoD.  They use the SF-86 application process. A person’s background and fitness for a security clearance are thoroughly investigated by the federal government’s Office of Personnel Management.

They will be reviewing matters including the applicant’s:

• Personal identifying data
• History of residences
• Military service
• Education
• Employment
• Arrests on the local, state, and federal level
• Civil court actions
• History of any subversive activity
• Foreign travel, foreign personal connections
• Financial delinquencies
• Drug and alcohol involvement
• Mental health
• Prior government security clearances

Sound Representation at Every Stage of the Government Security Clearance Process
Multiple cases at every stage are handled at The Lawscape Law Firm for the government security clearance processes.  The stages we handle include:

1. Initial consultation
2. Preparing to complete a security clearance application (Standard Form 86)
3. Questions during security clearance investigation
4. Preparing for hearings
5. Representation at clearance hearings
6. Responding to a Statement of Reasons (SOR)
7. Requests to re-open hearings
8. Filing appeals of adverse decisions

Call the government security clearance attorneys at The Lawscape Law Firm to talk about your government security clearance needs. We can review the details of your unique situation and make sure you fully understand all of your legal options.