Kim Kardashian has graduated from law school after six years of legal training, and in the words of Kris Jenner: “You’re doing amazing, sweetie!”
Kardashian, 44, is one step closer to becoming a lawyer after completing her legal apprenticeship and is now eligible to take the California bar exam.
The reality TV star had a private ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday, where she was beaming as she wore a graduation cap after completing her four-year law office study program over the course of six years.
“I finally graduated law school after six years!!!” Kardashian wrote on Instagram.
Jessica Jackson, a lawyer who mentored her in the program, called it “one of the most inspiring legal journeys we’ve ever seen.”
“Six years ago, Kim Kardashian walked into this program with nothing but a fierce desire to fight for justice,” Jackson said in a speech at Kardashian’s graduation party. “No law school lectures, no ivory tower shortcuts, just determination. And a mountain of case law books to read.”
California allows people to study under a lawyer or judge as an alternative to law school. Kardashian could become a licensed lawyer if she passes the state’s notoriously difficult state bar exam.
Jackson said Kardashian spent “18 hours a week, 48 weeks a year for six straight years” on the program.
“That’s a total of 5,184 hours of legal study. That’s time she carved out while raising four children, running businesses, filming television shows and showing up in courtrooms to advocate for others,” Jackson added.
Political commentator Van Jones also gave a speech at Kardashian’s event, celebrating her achievement.
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“I’m trying not to get emotional … a household name on five continents. If you go to Antarctica, the penguins know who the Kardashians are. She raised her hand and said she wanted to help, not when it was easy, not when there was a popular White House occupant. But when it was hard,” Jones said of Kardashian and criminal justice reform in his speech.
“When it wasn’t trendy. When it wasn’t cool. And as a result, 70,000 people are free.”
Her sister, Khloé Kardashian, was also in attendance and shared a video on Instagram, saying she is “so proud” of Kim.
“I just left her celebration lunch for graduating law school,” Khloé said in the video shared on her Instagram Stories. “I mean, I cannot believe this is years and years in the making. I’m so proud of her. This was just such a cool accomplishment, and I’m so proud.”
Kourtney Kardashian Barker shared a photo of herself wearing a graduation cap on her Instagram Stories with the caption, “Supportive sister.”
In recent years, Kardashian has been a criminal justice reform advocate and in 2018 she successfully lobbied U.S. President Donald Trump to commute the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a grandmother who was serving a life sentence without parole for drug offences.
In April 2019, Kardashian announced that she had decided to switch careers from reality TV star to lawyer.
She told Vogue that she’d been studying to become a lawyer and decided to begin a four-year apprenticeship with a law firm in San Francisco. She hoped to take the bar exam in 2022.
“I had to think long and hard about this,” Kardashian said of her decision.
California is one of the four states in the U.S. that allow prospective lawyers to do apprenticeships instead of attending law school. There were certain things Kardashian had to do during her four-year apprenticeship.
Kardashian and her supervising attorney needed to submit semi-annual progress reports to the California Bar Association, and she needed to take (and pass) the First-Year Law Students’ Examination.
She also needed to be studying law at the firm during regular business hours for a minimum of 18 hours each week for at least 48 weeks to receive credit for one year of study.
Following her four-year apprenticeship, Kardashian needs to pass the bar and get a positive moral character determination. She will also need to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.
By December 2021, Kardashian had passed California’s First-Year Law Students’ Examination — a daylong test required of aspiring lawyers in the state who are not taking the traditional path of attending an accredited law school.
“OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!!” she wrote on X, posting photos of herself posing in a bright blue jumpsuit. “For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me.”
Kardashian had previously failed the exam three times before passing. Her fourth attempt marked her final opportunity, as California typically only allows people to take the First-Year Law Students’ Examination three times, but gave anyone who failed the June 2020 exam one extra try due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Kardashians star’s legal career journey is not over yet, as she’ll need to pass the California Bar Exam to become a practising lawyer. The California Bar Exam takes place every year in February and July.
— With files from The Associated Press
