Formal Hearing Help

If you are turned down for a national security clearance after submitting your application and going through the investigative process, you may request a formal hearing through the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals. This hearing is an opportunity for the applicant to challenge the denial of security clearance. It is essential to have the advice of a tried and true lawyer at such formal hearings.

The Edmunds Law Firm has been successfully helping applicants during their formal appeals in the national security application process for more than 30 years. It is one of their specialties.

Responding to the Statement of Reasons

The appeal process usually starts when the applicant responds in writing to the Statement of Reasons, a document explaining why the applicant was turned down for security clearance. The Edmunds Law firm has successfully helped someone denied clearance at this earliest stage of the appeals process, even before a formal hearing was begun. Our lawyers wrote such an excellent response to the Statement of Reasons that the applicant's denial was overturned.

This is very unusual however, and therefore most applicants pursuing a national security job after being turned down and replying to the Statement of Reasons, request a formal hearing and an opportunity to tell their side of the story. This is another stage in the appeals process when it is imperative to have the assistance of an expert attorney to challenge the Statement of Reasons.

The Hearing

The hearing is held before an administrative law judge. An experienced government attorney is there to prevent you from succeeding in the appeal process. The hearings require the applicant's testimony and possibly character witnesses. In preparation for the hearing, the government and the applicant exchange many documents they plan to present at the hearing. The technical details in this complex process should be taken care of by an experienced, well qualified attorney like the lawyers at The Edmunds Law Firm.

A Last Chance

After a decision is made, the government or the applicant can appeal the decision within 15 days. This appeal, however, is based only on the written record made at the hearing. That is why having superb legal representation before and during the hearing are essential. Once a decision is made on this appeal, the applicant has no further recourse.

For experienced legal representation, contact a national security attorney at The Edmunds Law Firm today.