The Bottom Line of Guideline F: Your Personal Finances Impact Your Security Clearance Eligibility
Adopting a Lifestyle Compatible with Classified Work One of the more painful moments for a security clearance lawyer is watching Department Counsel, sworn to strip your client’s…
Can I Get Security Clearance Without a Sponsor? Getting Your Foot in the Door
When it comes to obtaining a security clearance, you absolutely must have a sponsor. A Security Clearance is not like a Driver’s License, which is issued to an individual who…
C-3 Canadian Citizenship and Your Security Clearance
When Canada passed Bill C-3 to amend the rules governing citizenship by descent, they probably weren’t concerned with the ensuing panic from American security clearance…
The Origins of SEAD-4: Defining and Working within The Circle of Trust
Signed by then Director of National Intelligence, James E. Clapper, in June 2017, SEAD-4 is the common regulatory rubric for all Executive branch elements with Security programs…
O (No) Canada: C-3 Canadian Citizenship and Security Clearance Eligibility
On December 15th, 2025, many Americans awoke to find themselves suddenly Canadian—myself included. Bill C-3 (An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act) extended Canadian citizenship…
Keeping Your Security Clearance After an Arrest
Things are not always black and white in security adjudications. A prime example is the question of whether a Guideline J, Criminal Conduct concern could follow any arrest, even…
Uncertainty Remains: Rescheduling Hype & Medical Marijuana
Marijuana reclassification was a source of hype well before President Trump issued the executive order “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research” on December 18,…
Risky Business: Marijuana-Related Investments & Business Ventures Could Jeopardize Your Security Clearance
Despite widespread legalization at the state level, marijuana is currently classified as an illegal Schedule I substance under federal law. It is recommended that individuals…
Schedule III Cannabis Won’t Change Much for Security Clearance Holders
Making cannabis a Schedule III drug is unlikely to change things for most security clearance holders and applicants any time soon. President Trump directed the attorney general to…
The Hazards of Being a Global Citizen and Doing Classified Work: Guideline B, Foreign Influence
In the context of eligibility for access to classified information, Guideline B, Foreign Influence is one (1) of the thirteen (13) Adjudicative criteria established by Security…