Trump called her an attorney. We found no record of her licence.
Katie Zacharia’s debut as White House press secretary has been overshadowed by questions about her legal credentials. CNN’s updated investigation identified at least six occasions on which she described herself as a lawyer or corporate lawyer.
California’s State Bar says it has no record of her being licensed under her married or maiden name. Campaign for Accountability has asked the regulator to investigate, according to AP. That complaint is not a finding of wrongdoing or confirmation that the regulator has opened an investigation.
Pepperdine University confirms that Zacharia earned her JD in 2011. A law degree alone does not establish bar admission or a current practising licence.
Zacharia says she practised international transactional law with “all the appropriate credentials”. Her response does not identify a jurisdiction of admission. There is no requirement to hold a law licence to serve as White House press secretary.
Popular Information reports that searches across all 50 US states and Washington, DC found no evidence of bar admission. WDWK has not independently repeated every US search. Our headline reflects the records and published investigations described here, rather than a claim to have obtained every historical admission record.
What the Hong Kong checks show
On 14 October, WDWK checked Hong Kong’s public directories under Zacharia and her maiden surname, Black. We found no matching entry in the Bar Association’s practising-barrister list, or in the Law Society’s lists of members with practising certificates, members without practising certificates and registered foreign lawyers.
Those directories are not complete historical examination or admission records. An absent entry does not prove that someone never passed an exam or was never admitted. The Law Society says the historical Roll of Solicitors is held by the Registrar of the High Court.
Would Hong Kong admission be a UK qualification?
Hong Kong has English common-law roots, but its legal system and professional admission requirements operate under Hong Kong law. Admission there would not automatically confer a UK qualification.
The supported conclusion is limited: her degree is confirmed, while a jurisdiction of bar admission has not been verified in the sources and directory checks described here.
Lead photograph: Andrea Hanks / Official White House Photo, 13 October 2026. Photo source.
