2× USMC Defense Counsel of the Year (Regional & National)
Security Clearance Defense and Military Law Attorney.
Former Marine Judge Advocate. Former Active-Duty Defense Counsel. 2x USMC Defense Counsel of the Year (Regional & National). Matthew represents federal contractors, government employees, military members, and intelligence community personnel facing security clearance denials, revocations, or suspensions. Matthew’s practice includes DOHA hearings, SOR and SIR responses, court-martial defense, NJP, and administrative separations. Offices in Jacksonville, NC and Washington, D.C. Clients in all 50 states.
All other matters · Paid
As Featured In
2x USMC Defense Counsel of the Year (Regional & National)
Eastern Region & National · 2021
Former Marine Judge Advocate
Active-duty defense counsel
Former Active-Duty Defense Counsel
Camp Lejeune defense counsel
Security Clearance Defense
DCSA, DOHA, NSA, and IC agencies
Jacksonville, NC & Washington, D.C.
Clients in all 50 states
Two Ways to Start
Ready to talk through your case?
If you received a SIR, LOI, or SOR, a military charge sheet, or a notification of separation, the 15-minute call is free. For everything else, book a 60-minute paid consultation.
All other matters · Paid
Your Career is on the Line
A security clearance denial, a court-martial charge, an administrative separation board. Each one can end the career of a military service member, federal employee, or government contractor. Matthew has spent years inside DOHA hearings and military courtrooms. That experience shapes how he prepares your case from day one.
Full-range defense. Security clearance appeals (DOHA, DCSA, and agency-specific proceedings), courts-martial, NJP defense, admin separations, officer boards of inquiry, SF-86 guidance, suitability determinations, and discharge upgrades.
Based near Camp Lejeune. Jacksonville, NC office. Washington, D.C. office. Clients at installations and federal agencies in all 50 states.
Active-duty courtroom experience. Matthew tried cases as a Marine defense counsel before entering private practice. That is not a credential you can earn at a CLE seminar.
“He tried cases in Marine Corps courtrooms for years. That doesn't come from law school or CLE credits.”
Security Clearance Defense
Clearance Under Threat?
DOHA hearings, DCSA appeals, agency-specific adjudications. Matthew has litigated clearance cases for federal employees, military members, and contractors. One of the most experienced attorneys in the country that represents NSA clients.
Marine JAG to Private Practice
Courtroom-Tested
Naval Justice School graduate. Years of hearings, cross-examination, and motions as active-duty defense counsel. 2x USMC Defense Counsel of the Year (Regional & National) before entering private practice.
Two Offices, 50 States
Jacksonville, NC & Washington, D.C.
Minutes from Camp Lejeune, NC. Office on G Street in Washington, D.C. Clients at military installations and federal agencies across all 50 states.
Client Testimonials
What Clients Say
“Mr. Thomas got me out the most insane position and put me in a spot where my options did not leave me lost.”
R.G.
UCMJ Defense
“Mr. Thomas was able to do what I thought was impossible: get me retention in the Marine Corps.”
M.G.
Retention, Marine Corps
“Mr. Thomas was able to efficiently dismantle prosecution arguments so well that prosecutors were frantically looking through papers.”
G.P.
Full Acquittal
“All charges were dropped within a few months and I was able to retire with full benefits and honorable discharge.”
M.S.
USMC Retirement, 18 Years
“Mr. Thomas is the type of attorney who on your darkest day can greet you with a smile.”
H.L.
Military Defense
“Through unrelenting effort and professional skill, Mr. Thomas guided me through a legal battle lasting nearly a year.”
M.M.
Military Defense
“I would not have clearance or my career today without his knowledge and help.”
Verified Client
Clearance Defense
“Matt took an impossible situation and turned it into a second chance for our son.”
Verified Client
Family of Service Member
“Mr. Thomas got me out the most insane position and put me in a spot where my options did not leave me lost.”
R.G.
UCMJ Defense
“Mr. Thomas was able to do what I thought was impossible: get me retention in the Marine Corps.”
M.G.
Retention, Marine Corps
“Mr. Thomas was able to efficiently dismantle prosecution arguments so well that prosecutors were frantically looking through papers.”
G.P.
Full Acquittal
“All charges were dropped within a few months and I was able to retire with full benefits and honorable discharge.”
M.S.
USMC Retirement, 18 Years
“Mr. Thomas is the type of attorney who on your darkest day can greet you with a smile.”
H.L.
Military Defense
“Through unrelenting effort and professional skill, Mr. Thomas guided me through a legal battle lasting nearly a year.”
M.M.
Military Defense
“I would not have clearance or my career today without his knowledge and help.”
Verified Client
Clearance Defense
“Matt took an impossible situation and turned it into a second chance for our son.”
Verified Client
Family of Service Member
About Matthew Thomas
Why Matthew Thomas
Former Marine Corps Judge Advocate. Active-duty defense counsel before entering private practice. 2x USMC Defense Counsel of the Year.
Security clearance defense for federal employees, military members, and government contractors facing DCSA, DOHA, and agency-specific proceedings.
Court-martial defense, NJP hearings, administrative separations, officer boards of inquiry, and discharge upgrades.
Offices in Jacksonville, NC and Washington, D.C. Clients at military installations and federal agencies in all 50 states.
“Knowing the law is one thing. Having stood in the courtroom and argued it is another.”
USMC Defense Counsel of the Year
National · Eastern Region · 2021
This award goes to the Marine Corps defense attorney who demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, skill, and commitment to the service members they represent. Matthew won the national award and the Eastern Region award in the same year.
Full-Range Defense
Practice Areas
Security clearance defense, court-martial, NJP, administrative separations, and discharge upgrades for service members and federal employees.
Security Clearance Defense
Practice Area
Security Clearance Defense
A security clearance denial, revocation, or suspension can end a federal career. Matthew Thomas represents federal employees, military members, and government contractors through DCSA adjudications, DOHA hearings, and agency-specific proceedings nationwide.
Practice Area
Clearance Denial & Revocation
A clearance denial means the adjudicator found security concerns in your file. A revocation means they re-evaluated an existing clearance and withdrew it. Both trigger a formal process with response and appeal rights. Neither is final if you act within the deadlines.
Practice Area
NSA Security Clearance Defense
NSA runs its own clearance process. Separate adjudicators, separate criteria, a separate appellate body (the Access Appeals Panel). Matthew is among a select few attorneys nationwide with documented experience in NSA clearance cases. If you received an NSA suspension notice or SOR, call before you respond to anything.
Practice Area
Security Clearance Appeals
Received a Statement of Reasons from DCSA? You have the right to a hearing. The track matters: DOHA Administrative Judge is final for contractors; for military and civilian employees, the PSAB is the final authority. Work with an attorney who understands both and litigates, not just files paper.
Practice Area
SIR & Interrogatory Response
A Supplemental Information Request from DCSA (for military and DoD civilians) or a written interrogatory (for DoD contractors) is a pre-SOR request for more information. It is the last chance to resolve concerns before the case escalates to a Statement of Reasons. What you file here shapes everything that follows.
Practice Area
SF-86 Consultation
The SF-86 is 136 pages. One wrong answer can delay or derail your clearance. SF-86 consultations are paid advice. Book a paid 60-minute consultation with Matthew Thomas Law before you submit.
Practice Area
Suitability Determinations (SF-85)
Suitability is not a security clearance. Different framework (5 CFR 731), different factors, different consequences. If you are facing a suitability action, the strategy that works for a clearance case does not translate.
Military Law
Practice Area
NJP & Article 15 Defense
Office Hours in the Marine Corps. Captain's Mast in the Navy. Article 15 in the Army. Same framework, same stakes. Matthew Thomas defends Marines and other servicemembers at NJP, including PAC Order (MCO 5354.1) allegations at Camp Lejeune and across the fleet.
Practice Area
Administrative Separation Defense
Received a notification of separation? Your characterization of service stays on your DD-214 for life, and it controls your VA benefits. You have the right to a board, the right to counsel, and the right to remain silent.
Practice Area
Board of Inquiry Defense
A Board of Inquiry puts your commission, your career, and your retirement on the table. After the December 2024 amendment to 10 U.S.C. 1182, a retain decision is no longer automatically final. The record you build at the BOI matters more than it used to.
Practice Area
Court-Martial Defense
A court-martial is a federal criminal trial. Conviction is a federal criminal conviction. Matthew Thomas is a Former Marine Judge Advocate and Former Active-Duty Defense Counsel who has tried contested cases at Camp Lejeune and nationwide.
Practice Area
Military Discharge Upgrades
A bad discharge is not the end of the story. The Discharge Review Board, the Board for Correction of Military or Naval Records, and the Discharge Appeal Review Board each offer a path to correct the record when the basis supports it.
Areas of Focus
Practice Area
ROTC Performance Review Boards
In the Navy ROTC system, the PRB is the disenrollment hearing. No separate board after it. The decision at that hearing can put $50,000 to $100,000 or more in scholarship repayment on the table as a federal debt, plus the end of your commissioning path. The military does not appoint counsel for PRBs. You can retain your own.
Practice Area
Military Drug Crimes
UCMJ Article 112a (10 U.S.C. Section 912a) covers wrongful use, possession, and distribution of controlled substances. State marijuana laws do not apply to servicemembers. CBD products are prohibited regardless of labeling. The UCMJ case, the clearance case, and the separation case often run at the same time.
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Two Ways to Start
Your career is worth defending.
If you received a SIR, SOR, military charge sheet, or notification of separation, there is a deadline attached. Talk to Matthew before you respond to anything.
All other matters · Paid
