ABOUT
Leanne M. Innet, Esquire, of the Law Office of Leanne M. Innet, LLC, is a solo general practitioner in North Charleston, South Carolina, who focuses on counseling and representing individuals and companies who seek or hold national security clearances. Ms. Innet also prepares, presents, and prosecutes claims for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] disability compensation benefits. Because each of us is a sum of our parts, Ms. Innet provides her clients whole-person focused advocacy, rather than centering on a single concern.
Ms. Innet uses her knowledge of the adjudicative process to educate her clients about what to expect at each step, and she applies her organizational skills to ensure that the presentation of the client as a "whole person" is honest, accurate, and complete. For her security clearance clients, Ms. Innet has the requisite skills in legal research, writing, and oral advocacy to handle verbal and written self-reports of adverse information, responses to Letters of Intent to Revoke/Deny and Letters of Revocation/Denial, as well as administrative hearings. For her VA disability claim clients, Ms. Innet uses these same skills to handle all stages of prosecuting a disability claim.
OBTAINING OR RETAINING A SECURITY CLEARANCE
Obtaining or Retaining a Security Clearance
When obtaining or retaining a security clearance, there is no requirement that you hire an attorney. The peace of mind provided by having legal counsel during the process, however, may be worth the expense considering your job and possibly livelihood are at stake. The denial of a security clearance application not only bars the applicant from his or her current job but also all jobs for which the applicant might otherwise be qualified that require a security clearance. The hiring of an attorney cannot guarantee that you will obtain or retain a clearance, but you will enjoy the benefits of a professional approach to the application process.
Applying for a Security Clearance
Undergoing the intense scrutiny associated with the adjudication of a security clearance application can be a nerve-wracking experience, which often derails the applicant’s ability to accurately present his or her “whole person” to the government. Often, applications are delayed in processing and denied because of inadvertent oversights or errors that the applicant missed when preparing the Standard Form questionnaire. A delay in a final determination may put your financial security at risk if either you or your employer cannot wait for for a final determination. The loss of one’s job would be a steep price to pay for a haphazardly prepared application.
Levels of Counseling
Although Ms. Innet will undertake a case at any stage in the adjudicative process, it will be less expensive to you overall if you engage her prior to filling out the Standard Form questionnaire. Ms. Innet will assist you in cataloging your personal history, and she will counsel you on how to read the questions critically so that you will be confident that your answers are honest, accurate, and complete. By engaging in a pre-interview review of your personal history with Ms. Innet, you will be more relaxed and comfortable during your personal interview. Ms. Innet charges a flat fee for these counseling services.
Levels of Legal Representation
If your application requires additional levels of review—be it to respond to a Letter of Intent to Revoke/Deny or to a Letter of Revocation/Denial—Ms. Innet can draft the necessary written response or appellate brief, and/or she can represent you at hearing. Ms. Innet charges an hourly fee for this level of representation. The total hours required will be determined in part by the number of issues raised by the government and the choices you make for responding. If you hire Ms. Innet at this stage of review rather than prior to starting the process, additional hours will be required for her to familiarize herself with your personal history.
VA DISABILITY CLAIMS
There is no requirement that you hire an attorney or veterans advocate to prepare and present a claim for VA disability benefits; however, the professional thoroughness that an attorney or veterans advocate can provide at this initial stage may improve the chances of getting the desired determination during the initial review of the claim. If you wish to file a Notice of Disagreement to a determination, a professionally prepared initial claim may leave less work to be done to get the desired result during subsequent review.
OTHER LEGAL SERVICES
In addition to the above stated work, Ms. Innet passionately supports each individual’s right to self-determination in end-of-life decision-making. For your wishes to be carried out, you must make them known. The best way to voice your wishes is to execute a Health Care Power of Attorney and a Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death [Living Will]. Ms. Innet would be honored to prepare these very important documents for you. While Ms. Innet does not do complex estate planning, she will gladly prepare a simple Last Will and Testament along with a Durable Power of Attorney for you. She charges a flat fee for the health-related advanced directive statutory forms and an hourly fee for a Will and Power of Attorney.
Disclaimer: The InnetLawOffice.com website provides general information only. It does not provide, nor should it be considered, a source of legal advice. No attorney-client relationship will form between you and the Law Office of Leanne M. Innet, LLC, until you speak personally with Leanne M. Innet, Esquire, and she has expressly agreed in writing to represent you and you have paid an agreed upon retainer fee.