White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia confirmed she never passed the California bar exam after years of publicly identifying herself as a lawyer, sparking legal complaints and questions about credential misrepresentation that could carry criminal penalties under state law.
Failed Exam, Continued Claims
Zacharia acknowledged in an interview with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec that she failed the California bar exam in 2011 and never passed the bar in any U.S. state. The Pepperdine law school graduate told Posobiec she was distracted by wedding plans and an impending move to China for her husband’s work, adding she did not need bar passage for her legal work abroad. Only Chinese nationals may take that country’s bar exam.
The admission came after the Wall Street Journal reported her failure to pass any state bar examination. When reporters asked President Trump where Zacharia had passed the bar earlier this week, she responded cryptically with just two words: “I went to China.” The exchange sparked widespread confusion about her legal credentials and professional background.
Attorney Versus Lawyer Distinction
Zacharia insists she consulted experts and carefully avoided calling herself an “attorney at law,” claiming the term “lawyer” remained permissible for someone with a law degree. She told The New York Times that Pepperdine’s president advised her against using “attorney” or “esquire” but said “lawyer” was acceptable. However, CNN reported Zacharia shared at least 15 social media posts identifying herself as an “attorney” over the past two years, directly contradicting her careful distinction claims.
Her Instagram biography currently lists her as a lawyer. President Trump called her “an attorney” on Truth Social. Fox News broadcasts from April show Zacharia stating she “lived in Beijing as a corporate lawyer for three years.” These repeated public representations now face scrutiny from California’s State Bar and legal watchdog organizations.
Criminal Complaint Filed
The Campaign for Accountability, a liberal nonprofit watchdog, filed a complaint with the State Bar of California questioning whether Zacharia violated state law. California Business and Professions Code Section 6126 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to advertise themselves as practicing or entitled to practice law without active state bar licensure. Zacharia lived in California with her family until assuming her White House position.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended Zacharia as “uniquely qualified” and “whip smart,” praising her as a “fabulous and wonderful addition to the team.” Zacharia maintains she “practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,” though she has not specified which credentials she possessed for her China-based work with an American private equity firm.