White House defends new press secretary amid questions about her legal credentials

What the report says

The BBC reports that the White House is standing behind its new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, after questions emerged about whether she is licensed to practise law. President Donald Trump introduced her as an attorney, and Zacharia has also described herself as a lawyer, but she was unable to identify a state where she passed the bar when asked at a recent briefing. According to the BBC, she does not appear to be registered with any state bar where she has lived.

White House communications director Steven Cheung said Zacharia is well qualified, while Zacharia said in a statement that she had practised international transaction law with appropriate credentials. The report says a watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, has filed a complaint with the California State Bar seeking an investigation into whether she represented herself as entitled to practise without a licence.

The BBC notes that Zacharia earned a law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011, but a law degree alone does not authorize someone to practise law in the United States. It also says she took California’s bar exam but did not pass. Her background includes work in Beijing, where she reportedly served in legal roles for a firm and later described herself as outside counsel for the World Bank and International Finance Corporation. The broader issue matters because it raises questions about how legal credentials are described in high-profile political appointments and how professional titles are used publicly.