Giuliani suspended from practicing law in D.C. court

WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has temporarily barred Rudy Giuliani from practicing law, following a similar decision in New York.

A committee of judges in New York determined last month that Giuliani was unfit to keep practicing law after he “communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large” while representing former president Donald Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

A day after the ruling, disciplinary counsel in the District recommended suspending Giuliani’s license in the District until the New York case is resolved. On Wednesday, the District Court of Appeals agreed.

Neither decision is final, but disciplinary proceedings can last for years and could ultimately lead to sanctions including stripping an attorney of their law license. The New York committee found that an interim suspension was warranted because Giuliani’s conduct “immediately threatens the public interest.”

The New York suspension order says Giuliani fabricated claims about dead people voting in Pennsylvania and Michigan, felons and minors voting in Georgia, and undocumented people voting in Arizona.

Giuliani’s license in the District was inactive, meaning he could not have practiced in court in the city without making a formal request and paying dues. The decision Wednesday means he is not eligible to do so. An attorney does not have to be licensed in D.C. to practice in federal court, only local court. But to practice in the District federal court, an attorney must be an active member in good standing of a state bar association.