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Katie Zacharia's bar exam details, law degree, questioned; what Pepperdine said about Trump's new Press Secretary, all about Zhong Lun work
President Donald Trump's new Press Secretary Katie Zacharia's remarks about the bar exam has led to questions about her law degree from Pepperdine University.
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President Donald Trump's new Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has raised questions about her law degree and passing the bar exam. Multiple media outlets asked Zacharia about the row surrounding her degree after the press conference today, which was panned by many online.
Zacharia firmly denied them but some of her remarks have put details about her past work and employers into focus. The scrutiny over Zacharia's degree begun with Popular Info’s Judd Legum report.
“1. Trump’s new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, says she is a lawyer. She has claimed to be a lawyer repeatedly on national TV, on podcasts, and on social media. But there is no evidence that Zacharia has ever been licensed to practice law,” he wrote on X.
Deep Dive
Amid the row, Zacharia has clarified the situation to news outlets. Speaking to Daily Mail and NewsNation she said “I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.” Meanwhile, a CNN reporter noted that when asked which state Zacharia passed the bar from, the White House official said “Katie moved to China with her husband after graduating because of his job at an American private equity firm while she worked on international transaction law.”
Zacharia too told reporters “When I moved to China,” when asked which state she'd passed the bar from.
An online copy of Zacharia's bar license has not been found. Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law in Malibu, California, before moving to Beijing where she reportedly worked as an associate on the international practice team at Zhong Lun, a leading commercial law firm based out of China. Zacharia's LinkedIn notes she worked at the firm from August 2011 to June 2013. The recent scrutiny directed towards her has put Pepperdine and Zhong Lun in focus. Here's all you need to know.
What Pepperdine said about Katie Zacharia?
Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine in 2007 and got her JD in 2011, as per the university. She is a member of the Dean’s Council at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, as per an October 12, 2026 statement from the university.
Zacharia graduated with a degree in political science and government from Seaver College, the statement added and noted that as a Pepperdine law student she interned at the White House in the George W. Bush's administration. Zacharia also was a research assistant to Pepperdine president and CEO Jim Gash (JD ’93) when he was professor of law at the Caruso School of Law.
“Pepperdine is proud to count Katie among our alumni, former colleagues, and friends,” said Gash, adding, “As she takes on this significant responsibility, we pray that God will grant her wisdom and courage. We look forward to seeing her use her incredible gifts and extensive experience in service to our nation.”
What to know about Zhong Lun
Zhong Lun is one of the top law firms in China, as per the South China Morning Post.
“Zhong Lun is one of China’s leading corporate law firms, often grouped among the country’s so-called red circle firms – a term roughly comparable to the ‘magic circle’ firms in London or ‘white shoe’ firms in New York,” a professor of law and sociology at the University of Hong Kong told the publication.
“That period was also one in which many elite Chinese law firms were actively expanding their international practices and hiring foreign-trained lawyers to support cross-border work,” the expert added, referring to the time Zacharia is believed to have been at Zhong Lun.
While in Beijing, Zacharia had a a fundraising and communications role with Compassion for Migrant Children. Tyler Zacharia, her husband, was there with her, working in private equity focused on emerging markets.
