White House press secretary Katie Zacharia confirms she never passed bar exam after saying she's a lawyer

Updated on: October 15, 2026 / 4:48 PM EDT / CBS News

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia confirms she never passed bar exam after saying she's a lawyer

TL;DR

  • White House press secretary Katie Zacharia admitted she never passed the bar exam.
  • She took the California bar exam in 2011 but did not pass.
  • Zacharia stated she practiced international transaction law in China.
  • A liberal watchdog group filed a complaint questioning her use of the title 'lawyer'.
  • California law prohibits holding oneself out as a lawyer without authorization to practice law.