Newly appointed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has repeatedly claimed she is a lawyer.
However, several reports have emerged that Zacharia allegedly is not licensed to practice law.
Independent journalist and lawyer Judd Legum found several instances in which Zacharia referred to herself as a lawyer.
Legum found that she called herself a lawyer in Fox News appearances 18 times alone, and frequently referred to herself as a lawyer on her social media accounts.
“As a lawyer, the procedural steps are absolutely critical to get this right,” Zacharia said on an episode of “Fox and Friends First” on August 31.
But neither Legum nor The Washington Post found any bar admissions in any state under Zacharia’s name or maiden name.
Did Katie Zacharia sit the bar exam?
Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University’s School of Law in 2011. However, The Jerusalem Post found that her LinkedIn profile states she earned a Juris Doctor degree, meaning she is not licensed to practice law. Her LinkedIn does not list any current or past bar association membership.
If Zacharia did not sit for or pass the bar exam and was licensed, she is not a lawyer by definition.
Zacharia’s LinkedIn page states that she worked as an associate on the international practice team at Chinese law firm Zhong Lun from 2011-2013.
Legum noted in his newsletter that she could plausibly have practiced in China, since the work does not directly involve American courts.
That being said, she could not have sat the bar exam in China because she is not a Chinese citizen, which is a requirement to take the exam, The Washington Post noted.
She also claims to have worked as general counsel for Fix California, a nonprofit founded by Trump ally Richard Grenell.
Generally, a general counsel is an organization’s chief legal officer, meaning Zacharia would have had to engage in the practice of law. Notably, acting as an organization’s attorney in California without a license would be a misdemeanor.
A spokesman for the State Bar of California, where Zacharia resides, told The Washington Post that it “has no record of Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black having been licensed to practice law in California.”
Zacharia evades questions on legal license
The Trump administration has cited her legal work as part of her qualifications for the job.
US President Donald Trump specifically called Zacharia an attorney in his message announcing that she would be stepping into the role.
“Katie is a distinguished Graduate of Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, an attorney, and a frequent Commentator on outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.
Journalists pressed Zacharia and Trump for more details about her credentials after Zacharia’s first press briefing on Tuesday.
"What state did she pass the bar exam in? You said she is an attorney. Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?" One reporter asked.
“Which state?” Trump asked.
“When I moved to China,” she appeared to say through muffled audio.
The White House did not clarify whether or not she is a licensed, practicing attorney.
“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,” the White House said in a statement.