The Court of Appeals took the rare step Thursday of disbarring an immigration lawyer “effective immediately” for forging a letter from federal immigration officials to his clients and taking part of their fee for personal use, among other alleged misconducts.

Mina Bahgat did not appear Thursday morning for argument in his disciplinary case, the first on the top court’s docket for the day. In a hearing that lasted less than 30 seconds, Chief Judge Robert M. Bell confirmed with Assistant Bar Counsel Gail D. Kessler that she would submit on brief, then excused her and called the next case as several other judges chuckled.

By 3:00 that afternoon, the court had posted its per curiam order online.

Alvin I. Frederick, a veteran legal-malpractice lawyer unconnected to this case, said he could think of only a handful of times in more than 30 years that the court has taken such an action.

“It’s unusual but it’s comforting,” said Frederick, a supervising attorney at Eccleston & Wolf P.C. in Hanover. “You’ve got a Court of Appeals that is very sensitive to protecting the public.”

Bahgat was admitted as to practice in Maryland in 2004 and had no prior disciplinary actions, according to a fact-finding opinion filed in April by Montgomery County Circuit Judge William J. Rowan III.

The Attorney Grievance Commission’s petition stemmed from Bahgat’s representation of Raymond and Ely Rodriquez at Fairfax, Va.-based Just Law International, where Bahgat worked from September 2004 until he was fired in March 2007, according to Rowan’s opinion.