Giuliani lost his law license — but not his honorary degrees from these five universities

Rudy Giuliani may have lost his New York state law license this week for undermining the “integrity of this country’s electoral process” and misconduct that “cannot be overstated,” a Manhattan appeals court ruled.

But at one of New York state’s most notable colleges, Giuliani’s honorary law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law is still safely in the hands of the former New York City mayor and Donald Trump lawyer — for now, the school confirmed to Raw Story.

Syracuse University spokeswoman Sarah Scalese explained that the school’s University Senate voted in March to “recommend the university revoke Rudy Giuliani’s honorary degree” and “the Chancellor referred the Senate’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees for its consideration.”

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But since then, the status of Giuliani’s degree, awarded in 1989, appears to remain unchanged. Scalese did not respond to a follow-up question on whether the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, which includes notable alumni such as ESPN’s Mike Tirico and Goldman Sachs Managing Director Jeffrey M. Scruggs, has taken any action at all toward revoking Giuliani’s honorary degree.

Syracuse University is not alone in continuing to honor Giuliani.

Four other schools — Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina; St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y.; and Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, Md. — have likewise declined to strip Giuliani of honorary degrees they awarded him in the years following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The Citadel has been particularly strident in its defense of the honorary degree it bestowed upon Giuliani in 2007, with internal school emails and documents obtained by Raw Story last year detailing how school officials decided to close ranks, protect themselves and deflect Giuliani-related scrutiny.

Rudy Giuliani signs and autograph for The Citadel graduate Creighton Nash after the graduation ceremony May 5, 2007, in Charleston, S.C. Giuliani received an honorary degree. (Stephen Morton/Getty Images)

Representatives from each school did not respond to phone and email requests from Raw Story inquiring about whether their schools intend to keep honoring Giuliani.

In November, The Citadel’s spokesman, Zachary Watson, declined to answer Raw Story’s questions, saying the school had nothing to say “at this time” about Giuliani’s honorary degree.

At the time, Giuliani spokesman Ted Goodman praised The Citadel for not canceling Giuliani’s honorary degree.

“The Citadel, which stresses the importance of honor, duty and respect, is a national treasure and certainly a place any young student should consider when deciding on where to pursue an education,” Goodman added.

Giuliani’s crushing troubles

Getting disbarred is just the latest indignity for Giuliani, who is beset with a host of other legal and ethical issues, as well.

Among them: 13 felony charges related to his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, nine felony charges in Arizona related to his alleged role in a fake electors scheme, status as “co-conspirator 1” in one of former President Donald Trump’s federal indictments and the pending loss of his law license in Washington, D.C.

Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay $148 million because a civil jury found him liable for defaming two Georgia election workers.

Rudy Giuliani mugshot (image via Maricopa County Sheriff's Office). A mugshot of Rudy Giuliani released by the Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff's Office on June 10, 2024. (Image via Maricopa County Sheriff's Office).

Meanwhile, an ex-employee is accusing Giuliani of sexual assault. The IRS says Giuliani owes massive back taxes. A motley cast of detractors, ranging from his former lawyers to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, are suing the former New York City mayor and Trump attorney over a variety of alleged misdeeds.

That’s been sufficient cause for the University of Rhode Island, Drexel University and Middlebury College to rescind honorary degrees they had once given Giuliani.

Upon Rhode Island University relieving Giuliani of his honorary degree, President Marc Parlange concluded that Giuliani had “encouraged domestic terrorist behavior.”

Giuliani aided “an insurrection against democracy itself,” Middlebury President Laurie L. Patton declared.

Drexel admonished Giuliani for “undermining the public’s faith in our democratic institutions and in the integrity of our judicial system.”

Goodman this week said Giuliani will appeal his disbarment to New York state’s highest court.