Favorable Selective Service Determination Obtained for High Level Government Official

Recently, we had the pleasure of representing a very high level government employee of one of the largest federal agencies in the U.S. Government.  Our client, who started his federal career 21 years ago as a low level postal employee, had worked his way up to the highest echelons of his present agency.  Unfortunately, our client had failed to register with the Selective Service when he immigrated to the United States in his early 20's and did not learn of the existence of the registration requirement until he was far too old to register.  

Our client's failure to register did not raise any red flags with his various federal employers until just recently, after 21 years of federal service.  We have had other clients who found themselves in similar situations with their positions in jeopardy after many years of loyal service to the U.S. government.  Agencies are supposed to verify Selective Service registration status during the hiring process.  These cases demonstrate that an employee's Selective Service registration status is subject to scrutiny at any time, even after many years of employment.

At the time he discovered his predicament, our client was being considered for a position that would require congressional confirmation, which further complicated the problem.  Fortunately, OPM timely determined that our client's failure to register was not a knowing and willful violation, thus clearing him to maintain his federal position.