Despite facing several felony charges, Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, continues to hold his status with the District of Columbia Bar Association.
A Yale Law School graduate, Biden was admitted to the D.C. bar in 2007, although he has not actively practiced law in the district.
The bar's endorsement of Biden comes amidst allegations that he violated the bar's code of professional conduct. The code states, "It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyers honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects." The code further clarifies that illegal conduct, such as fraud or willful failure to file an income tax return, can adversely affect a lawyer's fitness to practice.
Biden is currently facing multiple felony charges, including accusations of evading over $1 million in income taxes, which allegedly funded years of lavish living. According to special counsel David Weiss, Biden could face up to 17 years in prison if convicted.
However, a criminal conviction is not a prerequisite for disciplinary action by the bar. For instance, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani's D.C. bar status is currently suspended due to his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, despite not having been convicted of a crime.
Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz has suggested that Biden's legal issues warrant investigation by the bar. "He has admitted to conduct that would probably constitute criminal behavior, use of drugs and things of that kind, so I think the bar would have to look into it," Dershowitz said. He also criticized what he perceives as a double standard, stating, "Bar discipline has been weaponized by the left against the right."
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden's attorney, did not respond to The Post's request for comment. Biden pays an annual fee of $331 to maintain his active membership in the bar. While his father was Vice President, he held a prestigious "of counsel" position at the Democratic law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, despite not actively practicing law in D.C.
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