Katie Zacharia says she failed the bar exam on her first attempt in 2011, while later describing herself as a lawyer. In interviews and reporting, she acknowledges she is not a licensed attorney and says her earlier self-description is tied to advice she received.
According to multiple outlets, Zacharia claims she was told she could use the term “lawyer” rather than “attorney,” and that failing the bar exam was “inconsequential” to how she described her role. Forbes reports she disputes the need to be an “attorney at law,” while also stating there is no evidence she has passed the bar exam. The Independent similarly reports her position that she was told she could call herself a lawyer “absolutely, across the board,” even if she does not have bar licensing.
The articles present the same core issue—Zacharia’s bar exam history and the terminology she used to describe herself—while emphasizing different aspects, including whether she is a licensed attorney and the alleged guidance she says she was given on what she could call herself.
