"'Self-Proclaimed Lawyer,' New White House Press Secretary... 'Failed Bar Exam'"

WSJ reports, citing an anonymous source
Worked on a law firm's international business team in China
Repeatedly identified herself as a lawyer in public appearances, including on TV

Katie Zachariah, the new White House press secretary whom U.S. President Donald Trump introduced as a lawyer, reportedly has never passed a U.S. bar exam.

U.S. White House spokesperson Katie Zachariah arrives at Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Montana, with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 14th (local time). AP-Yonhap News Agency

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing an unnamed source on October 14 (local time), reported that Zachariah took the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011 but failed. Trump had previously announced Zachariah as his pick for the next White House press secretary and introduced her as a lawyer.

Before taking office, Zachariah had introduced herself as a lawyer while appearing as a political commentator on conservative media outlets such as Fox News and Newsmax. On August 31, she appeared on Fox News to discuss the trial of the suspect charged with killing Charlie Kirk and said, "As a lawyer, the procedural steps are absolutely critical." The on-screen caption also identified her as a lawyer.

The controversy over Zachariah's legal credentials arose after her name could not be found in the attorney registries of California, Texas, or Washington, D.C. On October 13, when a reporter asked which state's bar exam she had passed, Zachariah replied, "When I moved to China," but did not elaborate. Later, in a phone interview with The New York Times (NYT), she only said, "I thought you were asking where I was after law school."

White House spokesperson Katie Zacharia during her first official briefing since taking office on the 13th. Reuters-Yonhap

Zachariah moved to Beijing, China, in 2011 and worked on the international business team at Zhong Lun Law Firm, a prominent local law firm. She reportedly drafted international transaction contracts worth millions of dollars and handled communications with U.S. and multinational companies. A law firm representative told the WSJ that Zachariah worked as an international legal consultant at the time, so she was not required to hold a Chinese or U.S. law license.

In the United States, anyone who practices law must be licensed in the relevant state or jurisdiction. This generally requires passing the bar exam and undergoing a character and fitness review. In some states, claiming to be a lawyer without a license or claiming to be able to provide legal services without one can also result in criminal penalties.

In a statement this week, Zachariah said, "I had all the necessary qualifications and worked in international transaction law." The White House also strongly defended her. White House press secretary Steven Cheung said, "Zachariah is exceptionally qualified and intelligent, and she will do an excellent job as White House press secretary." A White House official said, "The president did not hire her to practice law."

However, Roger Alford, a professor at the University of Notre Dame who taught Zachariah, told the WSJ that "it is generally unusual for someone who has not passed the bar exam in any jurisdiction to introduce themselves as a lawyer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.