# Disbarred lawyer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180 "2012-11-07T05:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/1 "2012-11-07T05:43:07Z")
Once a lawyer is disbarred can they still call themself a lawyer even when they are not practicing? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/2 "2012-11-07T06:04:48Z")
> [@\_Olive](#): > > Once a lawyer is disbarred can they still call themself a lawyer even when they are not practicing? They would run the risk of being sued (potentially by the state attorney general, or just by those who take their advice) for practicing law without a license. Results may vary by state. Here’s a random example: [http://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/upl/upl.html](http://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/upl/upl.html) ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/3 "2012-11-07T06:22:47Z")
well I am talking about someone say ‘HI my name is bob and I am a a lawyer’ ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/4 "2012-11-07T06:38:03Z")
> [@\_Olive](#): > > well I am talking about someone say ‘HI my name is bob and I am a a lawyer’ Well, that would be downright dishonest! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/5 "2012-11-07T07:04:39Z")
I s a disbarred lawyer no longer an “Esq”? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/6 "2012-11-07T07:27:48Z")
Holding out to be a lawyer for economic gain is usually illegal, depending on jursdiction. E.g. [Texas](http://law.onecle.com/texas/penal/38.122.00.html). If a person says “Hi, I’m Bob, and I’m a lawyer,” the legality would turn on the underlying circumstances for example, “Hi, I’m Bob, and I’m a lawyer, let me advise you,” as opposed to “Hi, I’m Bob, and I’m a lawyer, let’s disrobe.” ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/7 "2012-11-07T07:40:31Z")
“Esq.” does not necessarily mean “lawyer”, however, depending on the circumstances it might be evidence of holding one’s self out as a lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/8 "2012-11-07T17:10:19Z")
> [@\_Olive](#): > > Once a lawyer is disbarred can they still call themself a lawyer even when they are not practicing? I guess what you are asking is whether it’s legal for the disbarred lawyer to call himself a lawyer. As far as I know, there’s no general law against lying. There are specific laws against some kinds of lying under some circumstances. For example, lying on your tax return. Certainly it would be illegal for a disbarred lawyer (or a non-lawyer) to hold himself out the public as a lawyer for business purposes. But in random social conversation? I doubt it’s any more illegal than claiming to be the King of France. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/9 "2012-11-07T17:15:25Z")
> [@\_Olive](#): > > well I am talking about someone say ‘HI my name is bob and I am a a lawyer’ > [@hrhomer](#): > > Well, that would be downright dishonest! Well, of course it would. No one here is named Bob! ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/10 "2012-11-07T17:19:55Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Well, of course it would. No one here is named Bob! Yeah, that’s the guy with no arms or legs floating in the pool. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disbarred-lawyer/640180/11 "2012-11-07T17:38:21Z")
I think he is an attorney. A disbarred attorney, but an attorney nonetheless.