disbarment

Disbarment is the revocation of a lawyer’s license to practice law, the most severe professional sanction a bar authority can impose. It is ordinarily ordered by a state’s highest court or its attorney-discipline body for serious misconduct, such as dishonesty toward courts or clients, and may be permanent or subject to a later petition for reinstatement. Disbarment in one jurisdiction frequently triggers reciprocal discipline, in which other jurisdictions where the lawyer is licensed impose the same sanction. Rudy Giuliani was disbarred in New York in July 2024 and in the District of Columbia in September 2024 for false statements about the 2020 election.