Katie Zacharia, Donald Trump’s new press secretary, is facing questions about her legal credentials. The questions arose after The Wall Street Journal published a report on October 15. Reportedly, Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011 but did not pass the California bar exam.
Katie Zacharia reportedly failed the bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine Law
The Wall Street Journal reported that Zacharia failed the California bar exam after graduating from law school. At the time, she was also planning her wedding and preparing to move abroad with her future husband.
Zacharia later moved to Beijing, where she worked as an associate on the international-practice team at Zhong Lun Law Firm. It had been suggested that Zacharia’s law degree and international legal experience gave her sufficient qualifications to conduct legal analysis.
Speculation arose when Donald Trump introduced his new press secretary as an “attorney”. However, a search of attorney licensing records in California, Texas and Washington, D.C., did not reveal her name under either her maiden or married name.
When asked which state she had passed the bar exam in, Zacharia replied, “When I moved to China.” She later doubled down on her claim, saying, “I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.”
Legal credentials are not the only thing that is being debated about Zacharia. Questions also arose when she appeared at her first White House press briefing and seemed unprepared. Zacharia reportedly answered just three questions before wrapping up the meeting in under 15 minutes. She also mistakenly referred to her husband as “my president”.
Zacharia’s legal qualifications, however, did not affect her eligibility to serve as White House press secretary. The position does not require a law degree or bar admission. For instance, her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, has a bachelor’s degree in politics and communication.
The new report about Zacharia’s credentials has raised questions about whether she should be referred to as an attorney.
