Failed California bar exam in 2011

Worked as international legal consultant at major Chinese law firm

Trump introduced her as a lawyer when announcing appointment

White House says she was not hired to practice law

New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds her first press briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday. [Reuters]
New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia holds her first press briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday. [Reuters]

Donald Trump's newly appointed White House press secretary has long presented herself as a lawyer, but she never passed the US bar exam, raising questions about the accuracy of her professional credentials — a characterization Trump himself repeated when announcing her appointment.

According to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday (local time), Press Secretary Katie Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011 but failed the California bar exam.

Zacharia went on to work as a political commentator on conservative outlets including Fox News, where she regularly described herself as a lawyer. Trump also referred to her as a lawyer when he announced her appointment as his new press secretary.

Questions about her actual qualifications surfaced after her name could not be found in attorney registration records in California, Texas or Washington, D.C.

At her first White House briefing on Tuesday, a reporter asked which state she had passed the bar exam in. She replied, "When I moved to China," but offered no further explanation.

In a subsequent statement, she said she had "all the necessary qualifications" to work in international transactions law.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Zacharia moved to Beijing with her then-fiancé after failing the California bar exam in 2011 and joined the international practice group of Zhonglun Law Firm, one of China's largest law firms.

She reportedly handled contract drafting and client communications related to the China operations of American and multinational companies.

However, foreign employees performing such work were not required to hold a Chinese law license. The Wall Street Journal said foreign staff like Zacharia were officially classified as international legal consultants, with formal legal opinions handled by locally licensed Chinese lawyers.

In the United States, practicing as a lawyer generally requires passing the bar exam in the relevant jurisdiction, clearing a character and fitness review, and obtaining a license. In some states, presenting oneself as a lawyer or providing legal services without a license can result in criminal penalties.

The White House defended Zacharia despite the controversy over her legal credentials. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said she has "unparalleled qualifications and exceptional intellect" and will perform well as press secretary.

The White House also said she was not hired to practice law. Questions remain, however, about how Zacharia came to describe herself as a lawyer in public and whether she holds any US law license.


sjy@heraldcorp.com