Katie Zacharia Faces Scrutiny Over Law License Records, Reports Say

President Trump’s newly appointed press secretary, Katie Zacharia, faces scrutiny following an investigative report by Judd Legum’s Popular Information Substack which revealed no record of her ever being licensed to practice law in the United States, Alternet reported.

Bar Registry Searches Turn Up No Admission Records

Popular Information conducted an exhaustive review of attorney licensing records across all fifty states and Washington, D.C., discovering no evidence that Zacharia had ever been admitted to any state bar. Independent searches of official California Bar records by Alternet yielded no results under either her maiden name or her current name. The investigation follows multiple public statements by Zacharia claiming the professional title, including an appearance on The Greg Kelly Show on October 5, where she stated, “I’m a lawyer,” and an August podcast interview where she reiterated, “I’m a lawyer, I went to Pepperdine, Pepperdine Law.”

Pepperdine University confirmed that Zacharia earned her Juris Doctor degree from the institution in 2011. However, earning a law degree does not grant formal admission to practice law. When announcing her appointment, President Trump also referred to her as an attorney.

Zacharia Served as General Counsel for Fix California

The absence of bar admission records is complicated by Zacharia’s professional history, specifically her tenure at Fix California, a conservative non-profit organization founded by Trump ally Ric Grenell. According to her LinkedIn profile, Zacharia served as the group’s General Counsel from January 2024 to March 2025. A General Counsel position typically entails managing the legal affairs of an organization, though the exact scope of Zacharia’s daily work at the non-profit has not been established.

Under California Business and Professions Code section 6126, an individual who is not licensed or otherwise authorized to practice law commits a misdemeanor if they advertise themselves as being entitled to practice law or engage in the practice of law. A conviction under this provision carries penalties of up to one year in county jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. The investigative reports emphasize that the absence of registry records does not automatically prove wrongdoing, and neither report provides evidence of a criminal violation.

Inconsistencies in how Zacharia has presented her professional credentials further complicate the timeline. While her LinkedIn profile indicates her tenure as General Counsel concluded in March 2025, she continued utilizing the title in her social media biographies into 2026. Fundamental questions regarding whether Zacharia was ever authorized to practice law remain unanswered.

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