National Security Clearance Lawyer: Alan Edmunds

The best time to contact a security clearance lawyer is before you complete your SF-86, especially if you already know there may be issues in your background that require careful disclosure.

An experienced attorney can help you understand how to answer sensitive sections accurately, identify potential concerns, and determine what supporting information may be useful before the form is submitted.

If you have already completed your SF-86, you should consider contacting a security clearance lawyer promptly if you realize you omitted information or made a mistake, need help preparing for an interview or polygraph, receive a request for additional information, or are notified that your clearance may be denied, suspended, or revoked.

The Edmunds Law Firm also provides SF-86 preparation assistance for applicants who want legal guidance before submitting the questionnaire.

Security clearance eligibility can be affected by conduct or circumstances that raise concerns about whether granting access to classified information is clearly consistent with national security interests.

Many cases involve one or more of the 13 adjudicative guidelines used in national security clearance decisions:

• Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States
• Guideline B: Foreign Influence
• Guideline C: Foreign Preference
• Guideline D: Sexual Behavior
• Guideline E: Personal Conduct
• Guideline F: Financial Considerations
• Guideline G: Alcohol Consumption
• Guideline H: Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse
• Guideline I: Psychological Conditions
• Guideline J: Criminal Conduct
• Guideline K: Handling Protected Information
• Guideline L: Outside Activities
• Guideline M: Use of Information Technology

A concern under one of these guidelines does not automatically mean a clearance will be denied. Adjudicators generally consider the full circumstances of the case, including mitigating information and the whole-person concept.

If you know that your history may raise concerns under one or more of these guidelines, speaking with a security clearance attorney early can help you understand how the issue may be evaluated and what evidence may be relevant.

Yes. A security clearance lawyer can help you respond to a proposed denial, challenge a final adverse decision when an appeal is available, and develop evidence addressing the government’s concerns.

The best time to seek legal help is often when you first receive notice that your clearance may be denied or revoked, before the matter reaches a final decision.

Depending on the agency and your status as an employee, applicant, contractor, or military member, the process may involve a written response, formal hearing, appeal, or another form of review.

The Edmunds Law Firm has handled security clearance matters since 1976, and Alan Edmunds has personally represented clients in thousands of hearings and clearance-related proceedings.

Because response and appeal deadlines can be short, contact an attorney as soon as you receive an adverse clearance notice.

Yes. Many denied or revoked security clearance decisions can be challenged, but the available process depends on the agency, your employment status, and the stage of the case.

In some matters, the first opportunity to contest the government’s concerns comes before a final denial through a response to a Statement of Reasons. If the case proceeds further, additional review may include a formal hearing, written appeal, or another agency-specific process.

The deadlines and procedures can vary significantly, so it is important to identify which process applies before deciding how to respond.

An experienced security clearance appeals attorney can review the notice, determine your available options, and prepare the written and evidentiary record needed for the next stage of the case.

Yes. If you discover that you omitted information or made an error on your SF-86, a security clearance lawyer can help you determine the appropriate way to correct the record.

SF-86 accuracy is important because investigators and adjudicators may compare your answers with other records, interviews, and previous security questionnaires. An unexplained omission or inconsistency can sometimes create a separate concern about candor or personal conduct even when the original mistake was unintentional.

The right response depends on the nature of the error, when you discovered it, and where you are in the investigation process.

Rather than waiting until an interview or trying to correct a significant omission without understanding the implications, consider obtaining legal guidance promptly.

The Edmunds Law Firm provides SF-86 document preparation and review for applicants who need help completing or addressing issues involving the questionnaire.

If you receive a Statement of Reasons, review the notice immediately and identify the deadline for your response.

A Statement of Reasons explains the security concerns that may support a denial or revocation and gives you an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made in many cases.

Your response should address the allegations carefully and may require supporting records, mitigating evidence, declarations, legal argument, or other documentation relevant to the adjudicative guidelines involved.

The Edmunds Law Firm’s Statement of Reasons responses are often detailed submissions that address the allegations individually and present the supporting evidence needed to mitigate the government’s concerns.

Because preparing a strong response can take substantial time, contact a security clearance attorney as soon as possible after receiving the SOR.

To discuss your case directly with Alan Edmunds, call The Edmunds Law Firm at 800-481-2526 or request a free confidential consultation.