Practice Areas
Military law is a narrow, high-stakes specialty. Matthew Thomas handles security clearance defense, courts-martial, administrative separations, discharge upgrades, and related criminal defense matters. Each practice area requires a different legal theory, a different set of regulations, and a different kind of preparation.
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
Find a SC Attorney
Searching for a security clearance attorney near you? Matthew Thomas represents cleared professionals and service members nationwide, not just in North Carolina.
Practice Area
SC Attorney Cost
Security clearance defense fees vary by case type, stage, and complexity. Here is what you should expect, and why the investment is measured against a clearance worth six figures annually.
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.
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.
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
USMC NJP
Marine Corps NJP proceedings move fast. Office Hours can happen within days of an incident. If you are a Marine facing NJP at Camp Lejeune or any installation, call before the hearing.
Practice Area
Court-Martial NC
Court-martial defense for service members at Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS New River, and Seymour Johnson AFB. Matthew Thomas is a former Marine JAG based in Jacksonville, NC.
Practice Area
Military Defense
Matthew Thomas is a former Marine Judge Advocate and Former Active-Duty Defense Counsel who defends service members and veterans in proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and related federal law. Court-martial, NJP, administrative separation, security clearance, discharge upgrades. National practice. NC and DC offices.
Practice Area
Military Defense NC
Matthew Thomas Law represents service members at Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS New River, and Seymour Johnson AFB. Office in Jacksonville, NC. Former Marine JAG.
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
Matthew Thomas Law defends service members facing UCMJ drug charges in Jacksonville, NC and Onslow County. Article 112a, marijuana, controlled substances, and drug-related security clearance proceedings. Office at 705 New Bridge Street.
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.
