Attorney for Security Clearance Claims

Assistance for Security Clearance Applicants Nationwide

The national security clearance lawyers at The Edmunds Law Firm represent individuals who have been denied a national security clearance. We are ranked #1 for our national security clearance representation. To discuss your circumstances with an experienced security clearance attorney, we encourage you to contact our firm today.

Were You Denied a National Security Clearance?

Being denied a security clearance can have serious implications.

• It can affect not only your job and position, but also:
• Your salary
• Your reputation
• How you feel about yourself
• Your personal life

You may be denied a security clearance when you first apply for a job or you may have your security clearance revoked after you have been on your job for a number of years and failed to pass the standard review process. Our firm can help. The following is a brief overview of the appeals process. For more detailed information, please contact The Edmunds Law Firm and speak to one of our attorneys today.

Notice of Appeal

When your security clearance is denied, you should receive a letter called a statement of reasons. You have 15 days from the date that appears on the Judge’s decision to appeal to the Appeal Board. Your reply is called the Notice of Appeal.

Appeal Brief

You have 45 days from the date of the judge’s decision to submit your appeal brief. Its purpose is to explain what the judge did wrong and why that resulted in your being denied a clearance. The person appealing the judge’s decision has the burden of showing why the judge’s decision was erroneous. Thus the brief must raise any objection, issue, or reason why the decision is in error.

You are not permitted to submit new evidence that was not in your original appeal. In only a few instances can the appeal brief rely on anything other than error by the judge. One example of this might be if documentary evidence were mailed to the judge, but it never arrived. If you need more than 45 days to submit your brief, you should file a request for an extension as soon as possible, giving your reason for needing more time.

Reply Brief

The Appeal Board sends the appeal brief to the non-appealing party. The non-appealing party then has 20 days to file a reply brief with the board. This reply brief is optional.

Appeal Board Decision

The Appeal Board will then review the file that came before the hearing office administrative judge. The Board will also review the appeal brief and the reply brief, if applicable. After these documents have been reviewed, the Board will issue a written decision.

For more information about this process, or to schedule a private consultation with The Edmunds Law Firm, contact a national security clearance lawyer at (800) 481-2526.