On Thursday, August 7, 2025, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals suspended attorney Larry Klayman from practicing law for 18 months, requiring him to demonstrate fitness to resume practice. The decision stems from ethical violations related to his attempt to represent Cliven Bundy pro hac vice in a Nevada federal court case.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Larry Klayman,” with case number 24-BG-0689.
The disciplinary action follows a lengthy process initiated by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) in August 2018, charging Klayman with multiple violations of the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct. The charges arose from his 2016 application for pro hac vice admission in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, where he sought to represent Bundy, who faced federal charges including conspiracy and assault on a federal officer.
In his pro hac vice application, Klayman disclosed a pending disciplinary proceeding in D.C. involving a conflict of interest from his time at Judicial Watch, but the court found his disclosure incomplete. He failed to mention a prior petition for negotiated discipline and a hearing committee’s preliminary finding of an ethical violation in that case. Klayman’s claim that the matter was “likely to be resolved in my favor” was deemed misleading, as a hearing committee had already rejected a proposed public censure as too lenient. His subsequent application, asserting he withdrew the negotiated discipline because he believed he acted ethically, was also found misleading.
The Nevada court, presided over by Judge Gloria Navarro, denied Klayman’s pro hac vice petitions, citing concerns about his candor. Bundy responded with multiple legal actions, including a Bivens lawsuit against Judge Navarro, Senator Harry Reid, and others, alleging Navarro kept Bundy in solitary confinement and acted under political influence. Bundy also filed motions to disqualify Navarro. Klayman filed several petitions for writs of mandamus in the Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court, repeating claims about Navarro’s bias and the inexperience of Bundy’s local counsel. These filings were largely denied, with the Ninth Circuit noting Klayman’s misrepresentations about his own and others’ legal experience.
The D.C. disciplinary proceedings culminated in a 2019 hearing, with a final report issued by the hearing committee in September 2023, recommending a one-year suspension with a fitness requirement. The Board on Professional Responsibility, in July 2024, largely upheld these findings but extended the suspension to 18 months. The Board concluded Klayman violated rules on candor to a tribunal, honesty in bar admission applications, and professional misconduct involving dishonesty.
Klayman argued the proceedings should be dismissed due to a three-year delay in the hearing committee’s report, exceeding the 120-day rule. The court acknowledged the delay but ruled it was not mandatory and found no substantial prejudice to Klayman. He also claimed the disciplinary action violated his First Amendment rights, alleging political targeting, but the court rejected this for lack of evidence.
The court adopted most of the Board’s findings, affirming violations related to Klayman’s lack of candor in his pro hac vice applications and subsequent filings. The 18-month suspension and fitness requirement reflect the severity of the ethical breaches, marking a significant step in addressing Klayman’s professional conduct.
According to Avvo, Mr. Klayman is a lawyer in Washington, DC. He acquired his law license in the District of Columbia in 1980.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
