White House press secretary failed bar exam but defended calling herself lawyer
World · 16 October 2026
Written by AI from multiple news reports
Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, has admitted she failed the California bar exam in 2011. She never passed a bar exam in any US state. Despite this, she has called herself a "lawyer" in public.
Zacharia has a law degree and says she got advice that "lawyer" was acceptable to use. She was told not to use the word "attorney." However, she used "attorney" in at least 15 social media posts. President Trump also called her "an attorney" when he announced her appointment.
Legal experts say that without a licence, she is neither a lawyer nor an attorney. Two watchdog groups have made formal complaints to the California State Bar, saying she broke state law.