Hunter Biden will permanently lose his right to practice law in Washington, D.C., following his agreement with a disciplinary agency’s recommendation for disbarment. This marks a significant development in his ongoing legal issues.
The 55-year-old son of former President Joe Biden submitted a confidential affidavit to the D.C. Court of Appeals on Tuesday, April 1, indicating his “consent to disbarment.” The D.C. Bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility’s recommendation must still be formally accepted by the court before the disbarment is finalized.
This voluntary decision allows Biden to avoid potentially extended proceedings regarding whether his criminal convictions necessitated the revocation of his law license. His license was initially suspended in June 2024, two weeks after being convicted in a Delaware federal court for providing false information about drug use to obtain a firearm.
Biden, a 1996 Yale Law School graduate, was admitted to the Washington, D.C., Bar in 2007. Despite paying $331 annually to retain his membership, records show he never actively practiced law in the District. During his father’s vice presidency, he was an “of counsel” at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, a law firm with Democratic ties.
Disciplinary actions began after Biden’s gun conviction last year. He was found guilty of three felony charges related to his 2018 firearm purchase, which included falsifying information on a federal form about his drug use at the time.
“The D.C. Bar’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel initiated the legal proceedings to suspend Hunter’s law license,” according to court documents. Under D.C. Bar rules, any felony conviction is deemed a “serious crime,” prompting the court to take disciplinary action.
The court then directed the Board on Professional Responsibility to “institute a formal proceeding to determine the nature of the offense and whether it involves moral turpitude,” concluding with Biden’s consent to disbarment this week.
Biden faced additional legal challenges beyond the gun case, pleading guilty in September 2024 to nine charges, including three felonies and six misdemeanors, for evading $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019.
Federal prosecutors presented evidence of a four-year scheme by Biden to avoid tax assessments, including withdrawing millions from the payroll and tax withholding system. They alleged he spent excessively while failing to file his 2017 and 2018 tax returns on time.
In December 2024, shortly before leaving office, former President Joe Biden issued a “full and unconditional” pardon to his son, despite earlier assurances of non-interference in Hunter’s legal matters. The pardon occurred while Hunter awaited sentencing in both cases.
The Department of Justice stated that the combined charges could have resulted in up to 42 years in prison, though as a first-time offender, Biden likely faced a lighter sentence.
Following the pardon, the issues related to Biden’s convictions are no longer publicly discussed in connection with his disbarment. The consent agreement’s terms prevent public release of details from the affidavit he filed.
Currently residing in Southern California, Biden holds a law license in Connecticut, presently under administrative suspension due to an unpaid reinstatement fee, according to state records.
Despite relinquishing his law license, Biden remains involved in at least one ongoing legal matter. Court records indicate he has filed a federal libel suit against former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne in the Central District of California, represented by attorney Dick Harpootlian.
The D.C. Court of Appeals typically accepts voluntary disbarment recommendations from the disciplinary board, making it likely that Biden’s legal career in the nation’s capital will soon be officially concluded.
This development closes a chapter in Biden’s professional life, although his artistic ventures, which he has pursued since 2020, remain unaffected by these legal proceedings.
