Most attorneys working for the U.S. government must pass security clearances.  Law student interns generally must gain security clearance as well, although the process for summer employment is considerably shorter.  If U.S. government employment is your goal and you engage in any illegal or questionable behavior, such as recreational drug use or inappropriate web postings, clean up your act!  For example, attorneys with the Department of Justice undergo an investigation that includes a name and fingerprint check; interviews with references, close personal associates, former spouses, former employers, co-workers, neighbors, landlords, and educational institutions; a drug test; and a thorough check of credit, military, tax, and police records.  The background investigation covers a period of seven to ten years.  This process may take seven months or more to complete. 

As you move through a security clearance, you must answer all questions completely and accurately.  Think carefully about your answers, and don’t hesitate to consult with a career services counselor if you have any questions.  Job applicants have been found ineligible for federal positions based on past activities that, had they been properly disclosed, would not have been a bar to employment. 

For valuable information on security clearances, see Georgetown's Center on National Security and the Law Federal Goverment Security Clerances page here. Also, the Partnership for Public Service provides information on security clearances for prospective federal job applicants.

Revised 11.20.09 (nav)