The newest face at the White House podium has spent her first week answering questions about her own resume.
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, that she earned a law degree from Pepperdine University in California but did not pass the bar exam.
What did Katie Zacharia say about the bar exam?
In a television interview, Zacharia said she graduated from law school and got married in the same week. She and her husband planned to move to China, and she had already registered for the bar exam.
She said she took the test that summer, knowing she would be living in China. She considered the results unimportant because she did not need to pass to work there, she said, but sat for it to avoid a withdrawal on her record.
Katie Zacharia also said she consulted legal professionals who told her she could describe herself as a lawyer but should not call herself an attorney.
Why has Katie Zacharia faced scrutiny?
Zacharia has long described herself as a lawyer, including in her work as a conservative commentator on cable news. On social media, she lists lawyer among her titles.
Days into her new job, an independent news outlet reported that it could find no evidence she had passed a bar exam or been admitted to practice law in any state. She is not listed as a member of the California bar, where she lives, according to a public database.
After her first briefing on Tuesday, a reporter asked Katie Zacharia which state she passed the bar exam in. She appeared to answer that it was when she moved to China. Her first briefing was brief, and she took relatively few questions from reporters.
Noncitizens are not allowed to practice in courtrooms in China. Foreign lawyers in China generally work as legal consultants rather than as licensed courtroom advocates.
What does the White House say?
The White House has defended her. In a statement, it said she moved to China after graduating because of her husband’s job at an American private equity firm, while she worked on international transaction law.
The White House communications director called her uniquely qualified and said she would do an incredible job. It did not directly say whether she has ever been licensed to practice law in the United States.
Who is Katie Zacharia?
Katie Zacharia, 41, earned a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine in 2007 and a law degree from the school in 2011. She later worked for a large law firm in China.
Before joining the White House, she was a frequent guest commentator on conservative outlets and worked as a communications adviser for Trump Media. She also served as general counsel for a group called Fix California.
She replaced Karoline Leavitt as press secretary. President Donald Trump announced the hire last week. Leavitt had held the job since the start of Trump’s second term in January 2025.
Does a law degree make someone a lawyer?
Not on its own. In the United States, a law degree alone does not qualify a graduate to practice law. In nearly every state, a person must first pass a bar exam and be admitted to a state bar.
In everyday use, the words lawyer and attorney are often treated as interchangeable. States generally prohibit people from presenting themselves as able to practice law unless they are licensed. Bar exams are notoriously difficult, and many graduates who fail on a first attempt pass later.
For Katie Zacharia, the explanation may settle one question while keeping attention on her credentials as she adjusts to one of the most visible jobs in government.
