Trump press secretary says she failed bar exam as watchdog seeks inquiry

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said on 15 October that she failed the California bar exam after law school and did not take it again. She defended her use of the word “lawyer”, saying she had consulted legal professionals about how she could be described when giving legal analysis in the media. [2]

The questions arose after President Donald Trump called Zacharia “an attorney” when announcing her appointment. Asked by a reporter which state she had passed the bar exam in, she replied, “When I moved to China.” She later said she had misheard the question over the noise of a helicopter and thought she had been asked where she went after law school. [7][6]

Pepperdine University confirms that Zacharia received a law degree in 2011. Rick Coca, a spokesperson for the State Bar of California, told the Associated Press that it had no record of her being licensed in the state under either her married or maiden name. That finding concerns California; it does not establish her status in every other jurisdiction. [3][7]

Zacharia has said she practised international transaction law “with all the appropriate credentials”. White House communications director Steven Cheung defended her suitability as press secretary, calling her “uniquely qualified and whip smart”. Neither statement identifies a bar admission. [6][7]

Campaign for Accountability said on 14 October that it had filed a complaint asking the California regulator to investigate Zacharia’s public descriptions of herself as a lawyer and her listed role as general counsel for the non-profit Fix California. These are allegations for the regulator to assess, not findings of unlawful conduct. [1]

California distinguishes a law degree from a licence to practise. Its rules restrict unlicensed legal practice, while allowing some lawyers licensed elsewhere to work in the state under specific conditions. Whether Zacharia’s descriptions or any work she performed breached those rules cannot be determined from her exam result or job title alone. The State Bar told AP that confidentiality rules prevented it from confirming whether it had received the complaint or was investigating. [4][5][7]