The new White House press secretary failed the bar exam. She shared posts calling her an attorney anyway

Key Points:

• New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has shared multiple social media posts over the past two years identifying herself as an “attorney,” despite failing the California bar exam and being advised not to use that title.
• Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law in 2011 but did not pass the California bar exam, which is required to practice law in the state, and California law prohibits falsely claiming to be a lawyer.
• She has publicly stated she was told she could use the term “lawyer” but not “attorney” or “esquire,” and defended her use of the title by citing her JD and international legal experience in China, where foreigners cannot take the bar exam.
• Zacharia repeatedly promoted media coverage referring to her as an attorney and referred to herself as a lawyer in interviews, raising questions about the accuracy of her legal credentials.
• The Campaign for Accountability has requested an investigation by the California State Bar into whether Zacharia misrepresented her qualifications, while the White House has defended her competence and qualifications.