Honestly, the image of Kim Kardashian hunched over a desk at 2:00 AM, surrounded by Half-Empty Celsius cans and highlighters, feels like a fever dream to most people. We’re used to the red carpets and the SKIMS drops. But for about six years now, she’s been deep in the weeds of the California Law Office Study Program. If you’ve seen the glimpses of the kim kardashian law notes on her Instagram stories, you know they aren’t just for show. They’re chaotic, dense, and surprisingly relatable for anyone who’s ever tried to memorize the difference between a "fee simple determinable" and a "fee simple subject to a condition subsequent."
She isn’t just reading some "Law for Dummies" book. She’s following a rigorous, state-mandated apprenticeship. It’s a path that basically nobody takes anymore because it’s statistically a nightmare.
The Reality of the Law Office Study Program
Most people think you just "decide" to be a lawyer and start reading. In California, if you don’t go to law school, you have to work 18 hours a week for four years in a law office. Kim’s journey actually stretched to six years because, well, life. And kids. And a billion-dollar empire.
Her notes reflect a very specific type of legal education. Because she’s not in a classroom, her materials are heavily focused on "issue spotting." This is a skill where you read a story—like a neighbor’s tree falling on a celebrity’s guest house—and you have to list every single legal problem that could arise.
Her supervising attorneys, Jessica Jackson and Erin Haney, didn't go easy on her. They used real-world examples to make the dry stuff stick. Some of the kim kardashian law notes that leaked or were shared via social media show she was literally studying "Torts" by using scenarios involving her own life or her friends. Imagine writing a practice essay where the "defendant" is a paparazzi member and the "plaintiff" is you. It makes the "Duty of Care" a lot easier to remember when the stakes feel personal.
Why Her Notes Look "Different"
If you look at a traditional law student’s notes, they’re usually typed, structured in a "case brief" format, and incredibly clinical. Kim’s notes are often handwritten on legal pads or printed out with massive, colorful annotations.
- Vivid Highlighting: She uses a color-coded system that would make a Pinterest influencer jealous.
- Marginalia: You’ll see "OMG" or "I hate this" scribbled next to complex Constitutional Law theories.
- The "Baby Bar" Influence: A huge chunk of her earlier notes focused on the First-Year Law Students' Examination. This test only covers three subjects: Contracts, Torts, and Criminal Law.
She failed that "Baby Bar" three times. On the fourth try, in 2021, she finally cleared it. That’s when the notes shifted from the basics of "what is a contract" to the high-level madness of Evidence and Community Property.
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The Struggle with Constitutional Law
Let’s be real: Constitutional Law is the worst. Even Kim admitted it, once posting a photo of her books with the caption: "I f***ing hate Constitutional Law!!!" It’s a sentiment shared by every 1L in America.
Her notes on the Commerce Clause or the 14th Amendment aren't just academic summaries. She has to understand how these laws affect prison reform and sentencing, which is the whole reason she started this journey. She was advocating for Alice Marie Johnson long before she knew what "Hearsay" meant.
What Really Happened with the 2025 Bar Exam
The internet went into a tailspin in November 2025 when Kim revealed she didn't pass the July 2025 California Bar Exam. People were ready to pounce, calling it a "stunt." But the numbers tell a different story.
The California Bar is notoriously one of the hardest in the world. For the July 2025 cycle, the overall pass rate was only about 54.8%. For people who don't go to a traditional law school (like those in the apprenticeship program), that pass rate drops significantly—sometimes into the single digits.
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"Well I’m not a lawyer yet, I just play a very well-dressed one on TV," she wrote on Instagram, referencing her role in Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair.
She wasn't being dramatic. She was actually "so close" to passing. In the world of the Bar, being close is both a blessing and a curse. It means you understand the law, but you didn't quite master the "Bar-speak" required to get those extra points on the essay portion.
The Anatomy of a Kim K Study Session
How does she actually use those kim kardashian law notes? It’s not just reading.
- Flashcards: Her graduation party in May 2025 literally had flashcards as placemats. She uses them for "Rule Statements"—the exact sentences you have to memorize and spit back out on an exam.
- Issue Spotting Drills: She uses "One-Sheets," which are condensed summaries of entire subjects (like Real Property) on a single page.
- Active Recall: She often records herself explaining legal concepts to her kids or her assistants. If you can’t explain "promissory estoppel" to a ten-year-old, you don't know it well enough for the Bar.
Addressing the Skeptics
There’s a common misconception that she’s "buying" her way through. You can't buy a Bar Exam score. The proctors don't care if you have 300 million followers; they care if you know the "Standard of Review" for a First Amendment challenge.
Her path is actually harder than the traditional one. Law school provides a roadmap, a community, and professors who tell you exactly what will be on the test. In an apprenticeship, you’re mostly on your own. You have to be self-disciplined enough to log 5,184 hours of study over six years while the world watches you.
Why These Notes Matter for Prison Reform
The "why" behind the kim kardashian law notes is usually lost in the headlines. She isn't doing this to open a divorce law firm (though her character in All's Fair does exactly that). She’s doing it because she realized that to change the system, she needed to understand the mechanics of the system.
She’s been working with the "Decarceration Collective" and "Cut50." When she looks at her notes on Criminal Procedure, she’s seeing the loopholes that keep people like Alice Marie Johnson in prison for life. The notes are a tool.
What’s Next for Kim's Legal Journey?
She isn't quitting. She’s already gearing up for the February 2026 exam.
For anyone looking to follow a similar path or just curious about how she does it, here are the actionable takeaways from her study habits:
- Handwrite the hard stuff: Science says you retain more when you use a pen. Kim’s handwritten binders are proof of that.
- Personalize the scenarios: If you're studying Torts, imagine the "Reasonable Person" is someone you know. It makes the abstract concrete.
- Embrace the "Ugly Cry": She’s been open about the mental toll. Studying for the Bar is a marathon of failure until you finally cross the finish line.
- Use the "IRAC" Method: (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion). Her most successful practice essays follow this rigid structure, proving that even a "creative" person has to bow to the logic of the law.
The next time you see a photo of the kim kardashian law notes, don't just see a celebrity hobby. See the thousands of hours of reading, the failed attempts, and the weirdly specific knowledge of the "Statute of Frauds" that it takes to actually change the law from the inside out.
Next Steps for Your Own Research:
Check out the official California State Bar website to see the statistics for the Law Office Study Program. It’ll give you a real sense of the "mountain" Kim is currently climbing. If you're a law student yourself, try the "Tiger King" practice questions from JD Advising—rumor has it Kim used those exact scenarios to master her Contracts notes.