Security Clearance Defense

Security Clearance Defense Attorney

Your security clearance is not just a credential — it is your career. For the vast majority of military service members and defense contractors in technical, intelligence, and special operations roles, losing a clearance means losing your job, your income, and potentially your military career entirely.

When you receive a Letter of Intent to Revoke, a Statement of Reasons, or a notification that your clearance is under review, you have a narrow window to respond. The response you file — and the legal strategy behind it — can be the difference between keeping your clearance and losing everything you have built.

How Security Clearance Adjudication Works

Security clearance eligibility is determined under Security Executive Agent Directive 4 (SEAD 4), which establishes 13 adjudicative guidelines covering areas including criminal conduct, financial considerations, drug involvement, alcohol consumption, psychological conditions, foreign influence, and personal conduct. Adjudicators apply a whole-person concept — meaning that context, mitigation, and demonstrated rehabilitation all factor into the final determination.

This means that an adverse event — an Article 15, a DUI, financial difficulties, or a foreign contact — does not automatically result in clearance revocation. What matters is how the response is framed, what mitigation is presented, and whether the record as a whole demonstrates that the individual remains trustworthy and reliable.

The 13 Adjudicative Guidelines

• Allegiance to the United States

• Foreign Influence

• Foreign Preference

• Sexual Behavior

• Personal Conduct

• Financial Considerations — the most common reason clearances are denied or revoked

• Alcohol Consumption

• Drug Involvement

• Psychological Conditions

• Criminal Conduct

• Handling Protected Information

• Outside Activities

• Use of Information Technology Systems

The Security Clearance Appeal Process

When a clearance is denied or revoked, the service member or contractor has the right to submit a written response, request a personal appearance before an administrative judge, and appeal to the Personnel Security Appeals Board. Each stage requires a carefully constructed legal argument that directly addresses the government's specific concerns under the applicable adjudicative guidelines.

Attorney Nelson Robles understands how JAG officers advise commanders on clearance matters and what adjudicators find most persuasive in mitigation packages. That inside perspective is a significant strategic advantage in clearance defense proceedings.

We Represent

• Active duty service members facing clearance review triggered by UCMJ action, financial hardship, or personal conduct

• National Guard and Reserve members whose civilian careers depend on maintaining federal clearances

• Defense contractors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts facing Statement of Reasons or revocation

Facing military charges? Do not wait.

Attorney Nelson Robles is a current Army National Guard JAG — available 24/7.