The comments follow a complaint filed with the State Bar of California by the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability requesting an investigation into whether Zacharia held herself out as a practicing attorney without a license. Searches across all 50 US states and Washington, D.C. found no record of a law license for Zacharia, despite President Donald Trump introducing her as "an attorney" and her LinkedIn profile listing roles as a California general counsel and a Zhong Lun associate, a position a partner at the Chinese firm described as likely "similar to a paid internship."
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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White House Press Secretary Zacharia Calls Failed Bar Exam 'Inconsequential' and Defends 'Lawyer' Label
US Politics6 days ago
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia defended her use of the title "lawyer" in an interview with Jack Posobiec, saying legal scholars she consulted agreed the label was appropriate for her work even though she is not a licensed attorney. Addressing her failed 2011 California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University's law school, Zacharia said the results were "somewhat inconsequential because I knew I wouldn't need the bar in China," where she moved to join an international practice division of the Beijing law firm Zhong Lun before returning to the US and having four children in six years.
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