Katie Zacharia did not pass the bar exam, senior administration official says

Key Points:

• White House press secretary Katie Zacharia did not pass the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine Law, raising questions about her legal credentials, as she has referred to herself as a lawyer despite lacking evidence of being licensed to practice law in any state.
• Legal experts and the State Bar of California generally define a "lawyer" as someone who has passed the bar exam and is licensed, but a senior administration official suggested Zacharia could be considered a "lawyer" though not an attorney.
• Zacharia claimed to have practiced law in China, but experts noted that only Chinese citizens can take the Chinese bar exam, suggesting she may have provided cross-border legal consulting rather than formal legal representation.
• The Democracy Defenders Fund has asked California authorities to investigate whether Zacharia engaged in unauthorized practice of law, noting that falsely representing oneself as a lawyer is a criminal offense punishable by fines or jail time.
• The White House defended Zacharia’s qualifications, with communications director Steven Cheung praising her and dismissing criticism as politically motivated, while the State Bar of California has not confirmed any investigation into her status.