A federal judge in North Dakota has disbarred a man accused of misrepresenting himself as a lawyer.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland said Howard Kieffer admitted he is not a graduate of an accredited law school or a member of any state bar association. Hovland said Kieffer can never practice law in North Dakota.

"Courts have long recognized their authority to suspend or disbar attorneys, an inherent power derived from the attorney's role as an officer of the court that granted admission," Hovland wrote.

Hovland said the state Supreme Court disciplinary board should continue its investigation of Kieffer.

Authorities said Kieffer was caught by one of his clients accused in a child pornography case. Joel Wells said he paid Kieffer $37,000, but decided to look into his background after Kieffer repeatedly ignored attempts to communicate.

Voice messages left with Kieffer's office in Santa Ana, Calif., were not returned.

The Denver Post reported last month that Kieffer has represented at least 16 clients in 10 federal courts throughout the country. Court records show no clients represented by Kieffer in any North Dakota cases.

Court documents show Kieffer was admitted to practice law in North Dakota federal court on March 16, 2007, on false claims that he was licensed in California.

Hovland found out about Kieffer after he got a letter from Wells, who is charged in Minnesota with two felony counts of child pornography. Wells told Hovland that he found out Kieffer had never been a licensed attorney.

Wells' primary lawyer, Daniel Gerdts, had said that Wells wanted a team of lawyers and added Kieffer because the defense attorney claimed to be an expert on sentencing, prison issues and the federal child pornography law.

Gerdts said last month that he did not expect the investigation of Kieffer to affect Well's case, which is still several months away from trial.