Washington — The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has suspended Hunter Biden from practicing law in Washington, D.C., the court's chief judge said in a filing Tuesday.

The "immediate" suspension, as Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby put it, follows Biden's conviction on federal gun charges by a federal jury in Delaware. Federal law prohibits someone who improperly uses controlled substances from purchasing or possessing a firearm. The president's son was found guilty of three felony counts related to his purchase of a gun in 2018 while he was addicted to crack cocaine. 

The court said the "serious crimes" warranted the suspension of Biden's ability to practice law in the district.

"[T]he respondent is suspended immediately from the practice of law in the District of Columbia pending resolution of this matter," the order said, referring the matter to the D.C. Bar's Board on Professional Responsibility for further investigation.

Biden is a Yale Law School graduate, although he hasn't been a particularly active user of his law degree recently. He has been licensed to practice law in D.C. since 2007. 

Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.