Hunter Biden Loses License to Practice Law in Connecticut After Ethics Case

Hunter Biden can no longer practice law in Connecticut after a state judge approved his disbarment, concluding that he violated multiple professional conduct rules following his federal gun and tax convictions.

The decision was issued Monday during a remote hearing before Judge Trial Referee Patrick L. Carroll III in Waterbury. Biden, represented by attorney Ross Garber, participated by video but made no statement. Under an agreement with the state Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, he consented to losing his law license and acknowledged professional misconduct, though he stopped short of admitting criminal wrongdoing.

Complaints prompting the disciplinary proceeding were filed after Biden’s 2024 federal convictions—later nullified by a presidential pardon from his father, former President Joe Biden—garnered extensive public attention. One complainant, Paul Dorsey, told the court he opposed the negotiated resolution because it contains no admission of crimes. Disciplinary Counsel attorney Leanne Larson responded that the pardon removed the criminal penalties already imposed, leaving the ethics violations as the central issue before the court.

The judge concluded that Biden breached several sections of the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct, including provisions that bar “dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.” The ruling also took into account Biden’s disbarment in Washington, D.C., ordered in May under similar circumstances.

Background of criminal cases

Biden’s professional troubles trace back to two separate federal matters. In October 2024, a Delaware jury found him guilty of three felony counts tied to the purchase of a revolver in 2018. Prosecutors said he falsely affirmed on a federal form that he was not using illegal drugs, despite what they described as ongoing substance abuse. Shortly after sentencing, then-President Biden issued a full pardon.

Biden also faced a tax prosecution in the Central District of California. Federal authorities alleged he failed to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. A trial was scheduled for September 2024, but hours after jury selection was set to begin, Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file and a felony count of tax evasion. Those convictions were likewise covered by the presidential pardon.

While a pardon eliminates criminal penalties, it does not automatically remove the disciplinary consequences lawyers face for conduct considered incompatible with the profession’s ethical standards. According to the American Bar Association, state licensing authorities retain full authority to impose sanctions—ranging from reprimands to disbarment—when an attorney’s behavior undermines public confidence in the legal system.

Details of the Connecticut proceeding

Monday’s hearing focused narrowly on whether Hunter Biden’s admitted misconduct warranted the most serious disciplinary outcome. Judge Carroll accepted the joint stipulation, emphasizing in the written order that the Connecticut bar’s integrity “requires swift and decisive action” when an attorney’s behavior contradicts core ethical duties.

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Biden’s disbarment is permanent unless he successfully applies for readmission, a process that cannot begin for several years and would require him to demonstrate rehabilitation and fitness to practice. His lawyer did not indicate whether Biden plans to seek reinstatement in the future.

The Connecticut ruling cites Biden’s federal convictions, the nature of the underlying conduct, and the prior disbarment in Washington, D.C. as aggravating factors. Mitigating considerations, such as his cooperation with the disciplinary process and the presidential pardon, were noted but ultimately deemed insufficient to avoid disbarment.

Legal career and education

Hunter Biden, 55, was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1997 one year after graduating from Yale Law School. His legal career included work in private practice and as a lobbyist, as well as roles on the boards of several organizations. Before Monday’s order, his ability to practice had already been suspended pending the disciplinary case.

The outcome further narrows Biden’s professional options following a period marked by legal and personal challenges. While the White House has not commented on the Connecticut decision, the matter is now largely closed unless Biden pursues an appeal or later seeks readmission.

Crédito da imagem: Associated Press