Kim Kardashian announced on Instagram Stories that she did not pass the bar exam she sat over the summer, underscoring a setback in a six-year legal apprenticeship that began after she left the reality-TV spotlight. The announcement came as she simultaneously portrays a lawyer on Ryan Murphy’s series All’s Fair, which remains the No. 1 show on Hulu despite mixed critical reviews. Kardashian reiterated her commitment to finish the process, saying she will keep studying and is determined to retake the exam. The result follows three prior unsuccessful California bar attempts and a passed First-Year Law Students’ Examination (the “baby bar”) in 2021.
Key Takeaways
- Kim Kardashian revealed she did not pass the California bar exam she took over the summer, writing that she remains committed to continuing her studies.
- She has been pursuing law through a California apprenticeship program for six years and passed the “baby bar” (FYLSX) in 2021.
- The recent result adds to three previous failures on the California bar exam, underscoring the exam’s difficulty even for high-profile candidates.
- Kardashian stars as a lawyer in Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair, a series currently ranked No. 1 on Hulu by viewership.
- Critical reception of All’s Fair has been mixed; The Hollywood Reporter’s TV critic called the series “stiff and affectless,” though audiences have responded favorably by viewership measures.
- Kardashian has framed setbacks as motivation and reiterated goals that include opening a law firm to hire formerly incarcerated people.
Background
Kardashian first entered public life on Keeping Up With the Kardashians and later expanded into business ventures, while publicly committing to a parallel legal education track beginning around 2018. Rather than a traditional law-school route, she has studied via California’s apprenticeship framework—working under practicing attorneys while preparing for bar qualifications. That path requires passing the First-Year Law Students’ Examination (often called the “baby bar”) in certain circumstances, which Kardashian passed in 2021, a milestone she has cited as proof of progress. Over the last six years she has combined media work, business duties and law study, a juggling act she has described publicly as intensive and deliberate.
The California bar exam is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most demanding licensing tests, and repeated attempts are not uncommon among applicants. Kardashian’s father, the late Robert Kardashian, was an attorney and a member of O.J. Simpson’s 1990s defense team—an often-cited family connection to the law that helped inform her interest. Publicly, Kardashian has linked her legal ambitions to criminal justice reform, saying she wants to leverage legal training to create job opportunities for people with prior incarceration records. That stated mission has given her legal journey both a personal and political dimension beyond celebrity career-building.
Main Event
The announcement arrived via Kardashian’s Instagram Stories on a Saturday; she wrote that she “isn’t a lawyer yet,” adding she “plays a very well‑dressed one on TV” and that she will continue preparing for future exams. Kardashian thanked supporters and framed the outcome as a learning moment, writing that setbacks are “fuel” for renewed effort. She emphasized persistence—“no shortcuts, no giving up”—and pledged to study harder ahead of the next attempt. The post referenced how close she came to passing, language she used to explain why she felt motivated rather than discouraged by the result.
The timing adds a media-layered twist because Kardashian is currently acting in All’s Fair, playing a lawyer opposite an ensemble that includes Glenn Close, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Niecy Nash. Critics have been mixed: while audiences propelled the show to the top of Hulu’s charts, some reviewers found its tone and performances uneven. Kardashian responded to negative press with humor and audience-focused messaging on social media, sharing memes and playful captions while highlighting viewer interest in the series.
Professionally, the failed exam does not alter Kardashian’s public legal pathway—apprenticeship programs allow repeat attempts and continued supervised study. Her stated long-term objective remains opening a firm that would hire formerly incarcerated people, a concrete policy- and workforce-oriented aim she has discussed since at least 2022. The latest result may delay formal licensure but keeps her visible platform for advocating reform issues intact.
Analysis & Implications
Kardashian’s experience underscores how the bar exam functions as a gatekeeper even for well-resourced, high-profile individuals. The California exam’s rigorous standards mean many applicants require multiple sittings; Kardashian’s repeated attempts mirror a broader pattern among repeat test-takers. For public perception, her continued transparency can normalize repeated failure as part of professional credentialing rather than as a terminal setback, potentially encouraging others in nontraditional pathways to persist.
Her celebrity status complicates and amplifies potential impacts. On one hand, media attention brings public scrutiny that can magnify setbacks and fuel criticism of perceived privilege. On the other hand, sustained visibility can draw attention—and potentially funding and support—to criminal justice reform initiatives she champions. If Kardashian eventually becomes a licensed attorney and opens a firm employing formerly incarcerated people, the combined media reach and business resources could produce measurable programmatic effects; if not, she may still use her platform to advocate for policy changes without formal licensure.
Institutionally, the case highlights differences between law-school graduation and California’s apprenticeship route. Apprenticeship can offer practical experience and lower tuition costs, but it requires discipline and success on the same licensing exam as traditional graduates. Observers in legal education will likely watch whether Kardashian’s path prompts greater public interest in alternative legal training or prompts criticism of credentialing barriers to entry.
Comparison & Data
| Attempt | Year / Period | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Baby bar (FYLSX) | 2021 | Passed |
| California bar (multiple attempts) | Three prior attempts (dates vary) | Did not pass |
| California bar | Exam taken over the summer (current cycle) | Did not pass |
This table summarizes publicly acknowledged milestones: a passed FYLSX in 2021, three earlier failed California bar attempts, and the recent summer exam failure. The pattern is consistent with many applicants who take multiple tests before clearing the bar, and with California’s comparatively strict pass rates. While celebrity status changes media attention, the numeric record here follows common trajectories seen among repeat test‑takers.
Reactions & Quotes
Before quoting briefly, note: these excerpts are drawn from Kardashian’s Instagram Stories and published reviews; quotes are short to preserve context and accuracy.
“Well… I’m not a lawyer yet, I just play a very well-dressed one on TV.”
Kim Kardashian, Instagram Stories
In that post, Kardashian combined self-deprecating humor with a statement of ongoing intent, thanking supporters and framing the result as motivation rather than defeat.
“Falling isn’t short of failure — it’s fuel. I was so close to passing the exam and that only motivates me even more.”
Kim Kardashian, Instagram Stories
She used this language to position the setback as temporary and to signal plans for renewed preparation ahead of another attempt.
“Stiff and affectless.”
Angie Han, TV critic, The Hollywood Reporter
That critique reflects a portion of the critical response to All’s Fair; despite critical reservations, audience viewing numbers have ranked the show highly on Hulu.
Unconfirmed
- The specific score Kardashian received on the recent California bar exam has not been publicly released and remains unconfirmed.
- There is no public timeline confirming when she will next sit the bar; plans to retake a specific future administration have not been announced.
- Details about a prospective law firm—such as start date, location or funding—remain aspirational and have not been independently verified.
Bottom Line
Kim Kardashian’s recent bar result is a notable setback in a multi-year effort to qualify as a lawyer in California, but it does not represent an end to that effort. Her public framing—treating the result as motivation—aligns with a broader narrative of persistence among repeat test-takers and keeps her reform-oriented goals visible. The juxtaposition of her acting role as a lawyer and her real-world licensing challenges creates unusual media dynamics that may both complicate and amplify her policy aims.
For observers of legal education and criminal justice advocacy, the outcome is a reminder that professional credentialing operates independently of fame and that alternative training paths can succeed but often require repeated attempts. Whether Kardashian eventually gains admission to the bar, the episode has already drawn public attention to apprenticeship routes and to her stated plans to support employment pathways for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Sources
- The Hollywood Reporter (Entertainment news: coverage of Kardashian’s announcement and series reviews)
- State Bar of California (Official regulatory information on the bar exam and apprenticeship/Law Office Study Program)