You’ve seen the Instagram posts. The graduation caps in Beverly Hills. The tearful scenes on The Kardashians where she’s buried under a mountain of torts and contracts textbooks. It’s been years since the world’s most famous reality star announced she was "reading the law," a phrase that sounds like something out of a 19th-century Dickens novel. Naturally, everyone is asking the same thing: is Kim Kardashian an attorney yet?
The short answer is no. Not exactly.
Honestly, the confusion is understandable. In May 2025, Kim threw a massive celebration because she "graduated." Most people saw the photos and assumed she had crossed the finish line. But in the legal world, graduating is just the invitation to the hardest party on earth. As of early 2026, Kim Kardashian has completed her studies, but she is not a licensed attorney authorized to practice law in the state of California.
The "Baby Bar" and the Long Road to 2026
Kim’s path is weird. It’s unconventional. Most people go to a four-year university, take the LSAT, and then suffer through three years of law school. Kim didn't do that. She didn't even finish college. Instead, she’s utilizing a loophole in California—one of only four states that allows it—called the Law Office Study Program.
Basically, she’s an apprentice.
She spent six years working under the supervision of mentors like Jessica Jackson and Erin Haney from #cut50. This wasn't a "hobby" for her; we're talking 18 hours a week of actual grunt work. She had to pass the "Baby Bar" (the First-Year Law Students' Examination) first. That was a nightmare for her. She failed it three times before finally passing on her fourth attempt in late 2021. If she hadn't passed that fourth time, the dream would have basically been over.
What happened in July 2025?
After six years of apprenticeship—two years longer than the minimum requirement—Kim finally became eligible to sit for the "real" California Bar Exam. This is the big one. The monster. California’s bar is notoriously the most difficult in the United States, often seeing pass rates hover around 50% or lower.
Kim took the exam in July 2025.
She didn't hide the results. In November 2025, she revealed on social media and in interviews that she did not pass on her first try. She was "so close," according to her own accounts, but the essay portion reportedly tripped her up. It was a huge blow. She even mentioned on The Graham Norton Show that she spent months feeling "uncomfortable" and lacking confidence after seeing that "Fail" on her screen.
Why She Isn't Giving Up
You might think someone with a billion-dollar brand like SKIMS would just walk away. Why bother? But for Kim, this seems to be about the legacy of her father, Robert Kardashian, and her genuine obsession with criminal justice reform.
She’s already helped facilitate the release of dozens of people, like Alice Marie Johnson and Chris Young. She’s been to the White House multiple times—most recently in April 2024 to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris—to talk about second chances for non-violent offenders. She doesn't need the "Esq." after her name to do the advocacy work, but she clearly wants the power that comes with being a trial lawyer.
"Maybe in 10 years, I'll give up being Kim K and be a trial lawyer. That's what I really want." — Kim Kardashian, 2025.
The Current Status: January 2026
So, where does that leave us right now?
- Apprenticeship: Completed. She has "graduated" her four-year program (which took six years).
- MPRE: Passed. She successfully took the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination in 2025.
- The Bar Exam: Pending. She failed the July 2025 attempt.
- License: Not yet.
The California Bar Exam is held twice a year, in February and July. Given her public statements about "not giving up" and using her failure as "fuel," it is widely expected that she is currently preparing for the February 2026 exam.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that she’s "buying" her way into the profession. You can't buy a passing score on the California Bar. It’s a proctored, anonymous-graded exam. While she certainly has the money to hire the best tutors in the world—and she has, including top-tier bar prep experts—she still has to sit in a room and write those essays herself.
Another myth? That she’s "in law school." She isn't. She never was. She’s "reading the law." It’s a distinction that matters to lawyers because it lacks the traditional structure of a JD program. Some legal experts criticize this path, arguing it misses the rigor of classroom debate, while others, like Professor Stephen Gillers of NYU Law, note that while it’s an ancient method, it is still a valid, albeit grueling, way to enter the bar.
Moving Forward: Her Next Steps
Kim is currently at a crossroads. She is playing a lawyer on the Hulu series All’s Fair, which she joked is the only way she’s a lawyer for now. But in reality, her eyes are on the next exam cycle.
If you're following her journey, keep an eye out for news in May 2026. That is when the results for the February 2026 bar exam are typically released. Until then, she remains a "law student" in the eyes of the state, but a "lawyer" only in her Hollywood scripts.
🔗 Read more: Justin Bieber Car Accident: What Really Happened On Those LA Streets
To truly track her progress, you can monitor the State Bar of California’s public admissions records. Once someone passes the bar and the moral character screening, their name appears in the official attorney search database. Until "Kimberly Noel Kardashian" shows up there with an "Active" status, she’s still just a very dedicated apprentice.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Journey
- Check the State Bar Results: Results for the February exam usually drop in mid-May; July results drop in November.
- Watch the Apprenticeship Rules: California is constantly debating changing the LOSP rules. Any shift in legislation could affect how long she has to keep retaking the test.
- Follow the Advocacy: Even without the license, her work with the Justice Project continues. If she passes, expect her to shift from "advocate" to "attorney of record" on specific clemency cases.
Kim's journey proves that the law doesn't care who your father was or how many followers you have on Instagram. It only cares what you can prove on paper during those two days of testing. She’s still in the fight.