Zacharia has repeatedly described herself on television, podcasts and social media as a lawyer, and President Donald Trump has called her an attorney. When asked earlier this week in what state she passed the bar exam, Zacharia replied, "When I moved to China," where she worked from August 2011 to June 2013 as an associate at the Beijing law firm Zhong Lun. She later told NewsNation that she "practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials," though legal experts told the Washington Post that foreign citizens cannot take the bar exam in China.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Failed California Bar Exam, WSJ Says
US Politics6 days ago
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia sat for the California bar exam while planning a wedding and preparing to move to China after earning a law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011, but did not pass, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The disclosure follows a complaint filed with the State Bar of California by the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability requesting an investigation into Zacharia after searches of all 50 US states and Washington found no active or expired bar admissions under her married or maiden names.
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