Kim Kardashian’s Determination to Become a Lawyer
Kim Kardashian has remained steadfast in her pursuit of becoming a lawyer, despite failing the California bar exam this summer. She described the setback as “fuel” to keep pushing forward with her dream. On Instagram, she shared that she was “so close” to passing the test required to become a practising attorney. She humorously noted that while she might not be an attorney yet, she plays “a very well-dressed one on TV.”
“Six years into this law journey, and I’m still all in until I pass the bar,” Kardashian wrote. “No shortcuts, no giving up — just more studying and even more determination.” Her commitment to the legal field reflects her long-standing interest in criminal justice reform and her desire to follow in the footsteps of her father.
Robert Kardashian Sr. was a high-profile Los Angeles attorney known for his role in O.J. Simpson’s defense during the 1995 murder trial. He passed away in 2003 after battling oesophageal cancer. Throughout the family’s reality show, Kardashian has showcased her efforts to become an attorney. She registered with the California State Bar to study law through a program that allows someone to apprentice with a practising lawyer or judge instead of attending traditional law school.
Kardashian never completed college, as she mentioned in a 2019 Instagram post that she was 15 credits short of graduating. However, the alternative program required a minimum of 18 hours a week of work over four years, and she had to take monthly exams. She first took the “baby bar,” also known as the First-Year Law Students’ Examination. After three attempts, including one where she had COVID and a “104 fever,” she finally passed in 2021.
Even without a law degree, Kardashian has used her fame to advocate for individuals she believes have been unjustly prosecuted or disproportionately sentenced. One of the most notable instances was her work to secure the release of Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for a drug conviction. Johnson, a grandmother, spent 21 years in federal prison after being convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Kardashian brought attention to Johnson’s case publicly and directly to President Donald Trump, who commuted her sentence in 2018, leading to her release. She also released a 2020 docuseries called “Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project,” which highlighted issues around mass incarceration by featuring specific cases.
Recently, Kardashian has advocated for the release of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers serving life sentences since their 1996 conviction for murdering their parents. Their case involved two trials, as the first attempt to convict them ended in a mistrial. In an essay last year, Kardashian stated that the case was “more complex than it appears on the surface” and pointed to the brothers’ claims of abuse growing up.
“I also strongly believe that they were denied a fair second trial and that the exclusion of crucial abuse evidence denied Erik and Lyle the opportunity to fully present their case, further undermining the fairness of their conviction,” she wrote. The brothers have recently been denied parole but are pursuing new trials to overturn their convictions and have asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom for clemency.
Kardashian has maintained her law program over six years while balancing her advocacy work and her career, which includes launching her brand SKIMS and exploring Hollywood. The 45-year-old is starring in Ryan Murphy’s new show “All’s Fair,” which centers on an all-female law firm. She plays divorce attorney Allura Grant, but her performance received mixed reviews from critics.
The Hollywood Reporter’s critic described her acting as “stiff and affectless without a single authentic note,” though they noted it might fit a show that “seems to want not to be watched so much as mined for viral bits and pieces.”