DoD Clearance
The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for determining whether an individual will receive security clearance when working for an agency with sensitive information. To obtain DoD clearance in order to be privy to secret or even top secret information, an application must be submitted to the DoD and reviewed. However, an application cannot be submitted by the individual without the authorization of the agency for which the individual is employed. DoD clearance gives the individual the authority to review and handle classified information.
Based on the information submitted on the application, the DoD can either choose to approve or deny the applicant's request for DoD clearance. DoD may determine that the individual is not an acceptable security risk. When this is the case, the DoD will send the applicant a Statement of Reason (SOR). The SOR will provide information in the form of allegations as to why the application for DoD clearance was denied. The DoD give the applicant the opportunity to respond to these allegations in an effort to obtain the needed security clearance.
When an applicant is denied DoD clearance, contacting a lawyer with experience in security clearance is the first step. A skilled and practiced lawyer can help the individual determine how to answer the allegations to achieve the most satisfactory outcome, which is DoD clearance. A qualified attorney will understand the guidelines used to determine DoD clearance; therefore, the attorney can help the individual ensure their answers meet the DoD guidelines.