California appellate disciplinary panel upheld the recommendation to disbar constitutional law scholar and former Trump legal adviser John Eastman. The panel’s decision follows an earlier March 2024 ruling by Judge Yvette Roland of the State Bar Court, which found Eastman culpable of misconduct related to his legal strategies in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
Eastman, a longtime legal academic and former dean of Chapman University Law School, has been a prominent figure in election-related litigation. At the heart of the case was Eastman’s advocacy for then-President Donald Trump, particularly his role in questioning the certification of electoral votes and exploring constitutional mechanisms related to vice-presidential authority during the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021.
The Review Department, which affirmed Roland’s ruling, concluded Eastman committed “multiple acts of moral turpitude” by making what it called “false and misleading statements” in legal filings. It alleged he advanced “frivolous” claims of voter fraud and helped develop a plan to urge Vice President Mike Pence to delay or refuse the certification of electoral results.
“Eastman’s actions undermined democracy itself,” the panel wrote in a sweeping conclusion.
Unless overturned by the California Supreme Court, the ruling effectively disbars Eastman — suspending his law license and disqualifying him from practicing in the state.
Read the court’s opinion via Law & Crime
Eastman and his legal team have vigorously defended his actions as protected legal advocacy and free speech. During the proceedings, Eastman stated:
“To accuse me of making false statements runs afoul of my First Amendment right to raise questions.”
His attorneys argued that Eastman was performing his professional duty — raising constitutional questions and advocating for his client — not misleading courts or the public. However, the appellate panel rejected this argument, claiming he had gone beyond legal theorizing into knowingly advancing false claims.
Eastman’s legal team has vowed to appeal to the California Supreme Court, which has the authority to accept or reject the disbarment recommendation. If the ruling is upheld, Eastman will be permanently disbarred in California.
