Disbarment, suspension and censure
US disciplinary sanctions range from private admonition to disbarment. The terms are defined in the ABA Standards and in state rules that adopt them.
- North Dakota's Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions say "Disbarment terminates the individual's status as a lawyer."1
- Suspension is the removal of a lawyer from practice for a specified minimum period. The ABA Model Rules cap suspension at three years and say the court should not suspend a lawyer indefinitely.1,2
- Reprimand, "also known as censure or public censure, is a form of public discipline".1
- Admonition is private discipline for misconduct that does not warrant public discipline. Probation allows a lawyer to practise under specified conditions.1,2
- The ABA Model Rules say disbarment applies when misconduct is so serious that even a three-year suspension would not be adequate.2
- Lawyers may also be suspended on an interim basis while a case is pending, as New York did with Rudy Giuliani in June 2021, before a final sanction.3,4
- Under the ABA Model Rules, a suspension order sets a minimum period before the lawyer can seek reinstatement, and ordered restitution becomes a condition of reinstatement.2
Sources
- North Dakota Supreme Court, North Dakota Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions, 2.0 Sanctions (28 October 2026)
- American Bar Association, Model Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement, Rule 10, Sanctions (28 October 2026)
- New York Appellate Division, First Department, Matter of Giuliani, Case No. 2021-00506 (2 July 2024)
- Michigan Attorney Discipline Board, ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions (28 October 2026)