President Donald Trump’s newly appointed White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is facing mounting scrutiny over her legal credentials. A complaint was filed with the State Bar of California alleging she held herself out as entitled to practice law without a license.
The complaint follows media reports questioning whether Zacharia ever passed a US bar examination despite repeatedly describing herself as a lawyer and serving in roles that typically require a licensed attorney.
The controversy erupted just days into Zacharia’s tenure after President Trump referred to her as “an attorney” during her introduction. Reporters later asked Zacharia where she had passed the bar exam. She twice replied, “When I moved to China."
On Wednesday, Zacharia told The New York Times she had misunderstood the question because she could not hear clearly over the sound of Marine One while standing behind the president.
“I assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?’” she said.
Complaint follows reports on law license and professional titles
According to The New York Times, Zacharia earned a Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University in 2011. However, the publication said it could not locate a law license for her in California or any other US jurisdiction.
{{/usCountry}}According to The New York Times, Zacharia earned a Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University in 2011. However, the publication said it could not locate a law license for her in California or any other US jurisdiction.
{{/usCountry}}Wall Street Journal reporters that according to a person with intimate knowledge of the situation, Zacharia took the California bar test after earning her law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011, but she failed. She reportedly took the test around the time she was getting ready to get married and go to China with her prospective spouse.
A watchdog group has now filed a complaint with the California State Bar, citing reporting by “Popular Information.” The complaint alleged that Zacharia repeatedly represented herself as entitled to practice law without holding a valid license. They further asked regulators to investigate whether California’s unauthorized practice of law rules were violated.
Zacharia told the publication that before appearing on television as a legal commentator, she consulted Pepperdine University’s president about how she should describe herself publicly.
She said she was advised not to use the titles “attorney” or “Esquire,” but understood that calling herself a “lawyer” was acceptable because she held a law degree.
Zacharia also identified herself on LinkedIn as general counsel for Fix California, an organization led by Trump ally Richard Grenell.
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, told The New York Times that the title generally implies someone is licensed to provide legal advice.
“You can’t be a general counsel to a company in the United States unless you’re admitted to the bar to practice law,” Chemerinsky said.
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Zacharia's work history in China
Questions have also been raised about Zacharia’s description of her legal work in China.
The White House has said she moved there with her husband and worked on international transaction law. On LinkedIn, Zacharia listed herself as an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm, one of China’s largest firms.
Legal experts interviewed by The New York Times said foreign nationals cannot obtain Chinese lawyer licences because Chinese citizenship is required. Foreign professionals may instead assist with international transactions or foreign law matters but cannot practice Chinese law.
Gary Gao, a partner at Zhong Lun, said foreign employees often help with cross-border transactions and language support rather than practicing Chinese law.
Law professor Sida Liu of the University of Hong Kong also told NYT that describing oneself as an “associate” at a Chinese law firm could be misleading if it suggests admission to practice law in China.
However, White House has offered an explanation and have clarified that Zacharia was not hired to work on legal matters for Trump.
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said, “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.”