Kim Kardashian has taken a significant step toward becoming a qualified attorney in California, but not everyone is celebrating.
The 44-year-old reality star, who has spent years balancing family, fashion, and film crews, has finally finished California’s Law Office Study Program, an intensive, non-traditional legal curriculum that foregoes traditional law school in favor of apprenticeships with practicing attorneys.
“I finally graduated law school after 6 years.” Kim celebrated the milestone on Instagram, using her typical combination of glitz and grit.
Her family went all out for her surprise graduation celebration on May 21 in Beverly Hills. She expected a low-key breakfast but instead found herself at a raucous garden event with her kids, mentors, and lots of Kardashian flair.
“Her legal mentors are also surprising her, and she has no idea they’ll be there,” a source told Us Weekly ahead of the party.
Ivanka Trump also offered praise:
“Congratulations, Kim! You did it”! My favorite law school grad!”
After 5,184 hours of investigation, there has been significant backlash.
Kim’s coach disclosed just how much she had spent on the program:
“That’s a total of 5,184 hours of legal education. That’s the time she set aside while raising four children, operating companies, producing TV series, and appearing in court to speak for others.
However, not everyone was impressed.
Kardashian, 44, chose an unorthodox road to a legal profession, bypassing traditional law school in favor of a California-based alternative. Instead of taking classes, she began a legal apprenticeship in 2018 with a San Francisco law firm, studying directly from a qualified attorney.
Criminal defense attorney Shaheen Manshoory, located in Los Angeles, informed The Independent that Kardashian enrolled in California’s Law Office Study Program, which generally requires at least four years of study.
“However, in her case, she has participated in this apprenticeship program for six years, likely because she struggled to pass what is called the ‘baby bar,'” stated Manshoory.
Critics also flooded social media with trolling, ridiculing the timeline, the process, and her appearance.
“She got her degree from TEMU,” one user said.
“What else can happen in a year in which Katy Perry became an astronaut and Kim Kardashian became a lawyer? It’s just May. “I don’t think my bingo card is set up for this,” one Facebook user said.
“Took her long enough.”
“Is she going to win cases by showing up at court half n*ked???” Another person scoffed.
“I certainly wouldn’t want her representing me,” stated one frank response.
Others focused on the six-year trip via a four-year program:
“Is it supposed to take this long?” someone inquired.
“I’d prefer an attorney who actually graduated law school, not the Cliffs Notes version,” a reader said.
“Took her long enough,” someone else wrote”
Nonetheless, Kim’s ardent supporters were not having it.
“Congrats, Kim! Your father would be proud. One fan wrote, “Let’s pass that bar!”
The celebration featured personalized touches.
The Kardashians ensured that the celebration reflected Kim’s trademark flair, even down to tablecloths emblazoned with her study flashcards.
“Talk about timing,” Rebecca Swattridge said online, referring to Kim’s legal goals just as she prepares to face a battle against music tycoon Diddy in an impending trial.
Kim, dressed in gray and wearing a graduation cap, beamed from the platform while her three children, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, watched. It is unknown whether her eldest daughter, North, 11, was present.
Another touching scene showed Kim carrying her certificate, surrounded by family, friends, and her mentor, who commended her effort and constancy.
From “baby bar” until the bar test
Kim began her legal studies in 2018 with a San Francisco law firm, subsequently earning news for failing the First-Year Law Student’s Examination, often known as the “baby bar,” three times.
However, in 2021, she eventually passed.
“OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM.” she posted on X.
“I failed this test three times in two years, but each time I got back up, studied harder, and tried again till I passed!!! (I had COVID on the third try, with a 104 fever, but I’m not making excuses).”
She later passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) in March 2025. Now, just the entire California Bar Exam lies between her and her license.
Kim, whose late father, Robert Kardashian, was famously a member of O.J. Simpson’s defense team, previously stated that Dad would have been the “best study partner.”
“Crim law I can do in my sleep.”
Kim found torts “the most confusing” and contracts “the most boring,” but she was most comfortable with criminal law.
“Criminal law, I can do in my sleep,” she told Vogue in 2019. “I scored 100 on my first test; it was super simple for me.”
Did she find reading challenging? That was the true challenge.
“The reading is what really gets me,” she said. “It’s really time-consuming. The notions I can absorb in two seconds.”
However, some internet critics remained vicious.
“I hope she uses it to silence her ex,” one critic joked.
“Now she can play a lawyer on TV,” someone quipped.
What’s the verdict?
Love her or hate her, Kim Kardashian’s newest accomplishment is no fluke.
With over 5,000 hours of legal work behind her, two major tests completed, and just one major barrier remaining, she’s closer than ever to becoming a full-fledged attorney, stilettos and all.
Kim is focused on the bar, regardless of whether the internet thinks she earned it or purchased it. And if history is any indicator, she will not stop until she has passed it.
“I am very passionate about criminal justice reform, and I want to advocate for those who I believe were wrongfully convicted,” she told Hong Kong Vogue in April 2022. “I dream of one day creating a successful law firm.”