Katie Zacharia’s legal past under scrutiny as reports find ‘no evidence’ she passed US bar exam

WASHINGTON, DC: Newly appointed White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is facing questions about her legal credentials after media reviews found no record of her admission to practise law in any US state.

Scrutiny of her legal qualifications began on Tuesday, October 13, after she was questioned about her bar exam following her first White House briefing with the media. Her responses, along with media reports, have raised questions about the accuracy of claims regarding her legal background.

Katie Zacharia’s legal credentials under scrutiny

Zacharia has repeatedly been identified as a lawyer or attorney during television and podcast appearances.

President Donald Trump also described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment as White House press secretary, following Karoline Leavitt’s departure from the role.

However, media reports indicate that there is no public record of her admission to practise law in the US. An investigation by independent journalist Judd Legum found no evidence that Zacharia had passed a bar exam or been admitted to practise law in any US state.

The Washington Post also reviewed state bar listings and reported that it could not find any active or expired admissions under either her name or her maiden name, Black.

A spokesperson for the State Bar of California told The Post that the organisation “has no record of Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black having been licensed to practice law in California.”

The spokesperson also referred to her nickname, Katie, while discussing the search for licensing records.

Legum also searched the State Bar of California's website, as Zacharia graduated from a law school in the state and currently resides there.

He subsequently searched records across all 50 states and Washington, DC, for evidence that Zacharia "was admitted to practice law anywhere, and found none."

However, Zacharia’s LinkedIn profile lists several legal-related positions following her graduation from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2011.

These include working as an associate on the international practice team at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing and serving as general counsel for the California-based nonprofit Fix California.

Katie Zacharia’s China legal work draws questions

During an exchange with reporters outside the White House, a journalist asked Trump, “what state did she pass the bar exam in? You said she is an attorney. Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?”

Trump turned to Zacharia and asked, “Which state?” to which she replied, “When I moved to China.”

Zacharia later said she had “practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.” However, she did not specify whether she had passed a bar examination in any US state.

Admission to a foreign bar association does not automatically entitle someone to practise law in the US.

However, Zacharia's exact legal status in China also remains unclear. China has strict requirements for practising law, including restrictions on foreign nationals becoming lawyers and taking the bar examination.

White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the appointment, saying that “Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team. She is uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary.”