In recent weeks, there’s been a lot of focus on Kim Kardashian’s nascent acting career, as she’s the lead in Ryan Murphy’s latest show, All’s Fair, and she weirdly keeps booking acting jobs. Whenever I saw any kind of update about Kim’s acting career, I always thought “but what about law school??” Six years ago, Kim announced that she was studying law and doing a makeshift, DIY law school program. We hadn’t gotten an update on her law studies in a while, and I genuinely thought we would eventually get an announcement like “it was too hard, I give up.” But no – Kim has now graduated.
Kim Kardashian has a big reason to celebrate! On Wednesday, May 21, the reality star, 44, revealed she had graduated from her four-year Law Office Study Program in a series of videos shared to her Instagram Stories. The program took Kim six years, instead of four years, to complete due to COVID and work, PEOPLE has learned.
Kim gave fans a glimpse into what appeared to be a backyard graduation ceremony, as her closest friends and family gathered to celebrate the milestone in her legal journey.
“I finally graduated law school after six years!!!” she wrote over a video of her putting on a graduation cap on stage as speakers congratulated her for her achievements.
“It’s an absolute honor to stand here today, not just as mentors, but as witnesses to one of the most inspiring legal journeys we’ve ever seen,” Jessica Jackson, one of the attorneys sponsoring Kim’s education said on stage. “Six years ago, Kim Kardashian walked into this program with nothing but a fierce desire to fight for justice. No law school lectures, no ivory tower shortcuts, just determination and a mountain of case log books to read.”
“Over the course of this program, Kim has dedicated 18 hours a week, 48 weeks a year for six straight years,” Jackson continued. “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.”
In a subsequent slide, Kim hugged her mentors as she walked on stage with a certificate of completion in hand. The crowd cheered when she held up the piece of paper and her children could be seen celebrating with her on stage.
CNN political commentator and friend Van Jones also gave a speech in Kim’s honor, celebrating her accomplishments along the six-year journey.
Kim’s backyard ceremony was an occasion for the entire family. In addition to her kids, her sisters Khloé Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Barker were also in attendance and shared how proud they were of all of her achievements.
I’m really interested in the wording around Kim’s graduation and whether or not she actually received a degree or a JD – People Mag calls it a “certificate of completion” and they’re not saying she graduated from law school, but she graduated from a “Law Office Study Program.” I googled this – it sounds like the LOS is considered the equivalent of a JD – so does she technically have a JD now? Anyway, congrats to Kim, I really did not think she would stick with the program and complete the program. I genuinely find it inspirational when people go back to school or seek new degrees later in their lives. Be real – Kim did not have to do any of this, and her fans would not have judged her if she had given up. I’m sure her father be so proud of her.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, Kim’s IG Stories.
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- New York City, NY – The Met Gala “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Pictured: Kim Kardashian BACKGRID USA 5 MAY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: BFA.com / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Paris, FRANCE – Kim Kardashian arrived at the Paris courthouse on Rue Tronchet for the trial of the “Papys braqueurs,” accused of her 2016 robbery. Michael Rhodes her attorney was also seen outside the courthouse this morning Pictured: Kim Kardashian BACKGRID USA 13 MAY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Paris, FRANCE – Kim Kardashian arrived at the Paris courthouse on Rue Tronchet for the trial of the “Papys braqueurs,” accused of her 2016 robbery. Michael Rhodes her attorney was also seen outside the courthouse this morning Pictured: Kim Kardashian BACKGRID USA 13 MAY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Paris, FRANCE – Kim Kardashian, accompanied by her mother Kris Jenner, exits the Paris courthouse after giving testimony in the trial of the “Papys Braqueurs.” The case revolves around the 2016 robbery in which the stars were stolen 9 million euros worth of jewelry. Pictured: Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner BACKGRID USA 13 MAY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Paris, FRANCE – Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner, and Jeff Bezos’s girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez, share an evening together at an exclusive restaurant in Paris. Pictured: Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry BACKGRID USA 15 MAY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Vendetta dailly / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Paris, FRANCE – Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner, and Lauren Sanchez exit Cheval Blanc Restaurant together in Paris. Pictured: Kim Kardashian BACKGRID USA 15 MAY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Celebrities attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala 2025 in New York Featuring: Kim Kardashian Where: New York City, United States When: 06 May 2025 Credit: Matt Crossick/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Celebrities attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala 2025 in New York Featuring: Kim Kardashian Where: New York City, United States When: 06 May 2025 Credit: Matt Crossick/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Can you get a law degree in the States without a bachelors degree?
California allows for essentially private study with a lawyer or a judge in an apprenticeship program. It takes several years (usually around 4) and isn’t easy. But it’s not passing the Bar exam so she’s not a lawyer yet, and California is notorious for having the most difficult exam in the country. That’s her next hurdle. Good on her for doing the work.
I worked in a law office for years in Florida and some of our attorneys took the California bar exam after years of already practicing here. None of them passed the first time. They also thought they knew the answers from years of already being a lawyer but they all took refresher courses before they took it again and finally passed. It’s a notoriously difficult exam.
I think the last administration of the California Bar exam proves it’s not so hard anymore. The California Bar is an absolute disaster and has no credibility anymore.
Not in the majority of states.
Some programs have straight to Masters and straight to PhD. They are condensed and not much easier. I think some electives may be sacrificed.
I’m a lawyer in Florida, and I’m scared to take the California bar exam even though it would be really great for opening up remote opportunities that require a California bar license. It’s notoriously difficult.
As for the certificate of completion, it it sounds like it’s similar or the equivalent of a JD. So if she chose not to take the bar exam or did not pass the bar exam, it would be similar to someone who graduates from law school but never actually takes the bar to become a certified lawyer. There are a lot of JD-requires positions you can still work in, but you can’t appear as an attorney in court and you have to be careful about not giving legal advice.
The practice of law is regulated state by state. You need a 4 year degree to go to any law school in the U.S. BUT you do not need to go to law school to be a lawyer in California or Virginia. She will still need to pass a bar exam to practice law and she’ll only be licensed in CA.
I share the confusion – I have two degrees, but my only certificate of completion is from the Red Cross for a stop the bleed course…and a backyard graduation ceremony?
Not taking away her studies or dedication – that is a long time to commit and kudos for finishing whatever program this is. This just feels as authentic as a Kardashian behind.
She does not have the equivalent of a JD.
Most states would refuse to allow her to sit for the bar exam. And by most, I mean more than 45.
While I am sure normies who take this course work very hard, I highly doubt she has done the same amount of work as them. 18 hours a week for 48 weeks a year seems to be a lot for a person always on holiday or filming a television series.
Besides a JD is an actual degree requiring 3 full time years of school work. That is not just attending classes but studying for classes and often the students do volunteer legal work during that time under supervision as well as competitive moots.
Has she covered torts? The basics of contract law? Or was this just procedural, which again is covered in law school. (Other countries like Canada and the Uk require up to a full year of articling after the law school degree and studying for the bar)
At the end of the day, is this someone you would trust to understand how to work a case without another lawyer doing all the work? The answer is no. This is a vanity certificate.
She did have to study all the first year basics. I actually remember her doing that early on. She also had to take what is referred to as a “mini bar”, which is essentially being tested on those subjects. I’m actually very impressed that she completed this program. I’m sure the bar will be a challenge, but it is for everyone. I’m licensed in 2 states, one of them being California, and it is a hard bar. It covers far more topics than the other one I took. The actual test was very similar, though, and you are only tested on a few of the subjects – you just don’t know which ones those will be in advance. I’m sure she’ll have the best bar prep available and will pass (or at least she will not quit until she does!).
I am not sure how she would have a JD degree with only a high school diploma. I know there are some Universities you can get a JD degree without a bachelors. But Kim went the law firm route. Not a University.
But at the end of day it doesn’t matter. It’s just about the clickbait title. People see ‘law school’ and they want you to think she has a degree. Just more smoke and mirrors taking credit for things they never actually accomplished. Like Khloe showing off pies so you think she baked them. But they were from an actual bakery and she got clocked on it.
Now I am curious if Kim will actually sit for the bar. Or this was enough for her for her media profile. And everyone will call Kim a ‘lawyer’ now. Without doing that fussy hard test.
It’s not the equivalent of a JD, not even close, and she can only sit for the bar in a handful of states, if that.
California is one of a handful of states that allow you to go through an apprenticeship process to become a lawyer, if you study under a practicing lawyer or judge. It takes 18 hrs a week for 4 years.
Kim did that, it’s not a breeze and she deserves credit for it.
She did NOT pass the bar however (hasn’t attempted it), so she is not a practicing lawyer now and doesn’t get any letters after her name. It’s unclear if she plans to do it.
Her graduation party was one she put together in her own backyard.
If you think she spent 18 hours a week in a law firm for 4 years. I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. She took six years and dipped in and out at her leisure.
I completely agree with you. As it has been made painfully obvious lately, you can buy anything in the US.
You guys seem to have about 20 lawyers on the page who comment so I think we’ll find out (I mean real ones lol). Congrats Kim whatever you and your team manufactured. She’s got 24/7 tutors but whatever.
I predict an Announcement from the Trump administration about a “fantastic excellent never before more qualified assistant AG to Pam Bondi..or maybe Don Jr’s new head. Of legal affairs.
I mean, this is exactly what’s going to happen?
I’d bet good money she lands in Mango’s administration.
TBF, Kim has a better knowledge of habeus corpus than, say, our current Secretary of Homeland Security.
It wouldn’t surprise me to hear the family is angling for some DC power – Kim & Kris are both on the guest list for the Bezos wedding as well as being front & center @ Lauren’s tacky Paris bachelorette party.
Next nominee for Supreme Court Justice
Black corset and hose, blinding white shoes, turtleneck (it was 90 degrees there yesterday) and the faux leather knotted skirt….that is such a tragic outfit.
ALSO…who does the other hat belong to, the one on the chair next to her? She has one on her head…who else ‘graduated’ in the backyard?
Her outfit was meh, until I saw the WHITE SHOES. That’s not fashion. It’s just dumb.
I hate the white pumps with this look. The rest of it isn’t great but those heels are awful.
Good for her.
So excited for her. Congratulations Kim!!
Congratulations Kim. Still doesn’t change who she is but congratulations anyway.
It’s not a makeshift diy program tho, it’s an avenue for all kinds of people & across all kinds of careers.
So while Kim is Kim, negating the significance for all the others is unkind.
I agree. Congrats. Kim!
In her statement on video, she clearly says she graduated law school not a law study program. I don’t begrudge her success but her statement is misleading. There is difference but I’m sure those details won’t affect whatever PR campaign Kris will employ the next couple of months for her “lawyer-daughter.”
I believe the apprenticeship track for study is equivalent to a JD in that it qualifies you to sit for the bar exam and become barred if you pass the exam. It is not a degree, but it is equivalent and serves the same purpose to qualify her to become a licensed attorney, if all other qualifications are met. It is legitimate, and good for her.
She could only take the bar exam in California, maybe Vermont, Virginia, and Washington if they recognized a California LLOS. No other state would let her sit for a bar exam.
OK, but why would she take the bar exam anywhere else but in California? She followed the rules of her state and, if she wants to practice there, she’ll take her state’s bar exam.
@Eurydice because other states will have “easier” bar exams. California’s is probably the hardest. No clue what she’ll do, if she’ll even sit for a bar exam, but if she does it somewhere other than CA that would be why.
@Becks1 – My point was why bring up again and again that she could only take the bar exam in California? The other states’ requirements are different from California’s – different study hours per week. different rules for mentorship, etc. She satisfied the requirements in her state and she’ll take the bar exam there, if she wants. The difficulty of the exam isn’t an issue. Even if there were reciprocity, she’d still have to meet the requirements of Vermont, Virginia or Washington and that would mean more years of what she’s already done.
For those saying “but the bar exam!” it tests on areas previously studied but in a multiple choice or essay format (sans right to look at references). If that sounds unnecessary, it is, and the legal profession routinely faces rebellion because it’s expensive and just keeps people from being lawyers.
California is one of four states that doesn’t require you to get a JD before sitting for the bar. California bar exam is notoriously hard to pass. I don’t know if it’s still this way but when I took the bar exam (Virginia) I felt so bad for my classmates sitting for the California bar, because it was three days vs every other state’s two days.
So she will be able to sit for the bar exam if she wants – but I find it highly unlikely she ever passes without a formal legal education. That isn’t an insult to her or implying she isn’t intelligent. It’s just without formal law school education / a JD / a Barbri course etc – it’ll be nearly impossible.
She could, of course, take a different state’s exam. But again, not having actually gone to law school….
Most states require a JD to take the test.
A lot of people are making fun of her but I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt for now- she seemed to have good intentions for what she wanted to do with this before she started and I hope she uses what she has learned to assist more needy clients in need of representation.
Seconded. Good for her for finishing something. Doubt she’ll pass the bar, but she stuck with this for longer than I would have figured.
I’m sorry to be so cranky, but, as a lawyer, this pisses me off. There is a reason it’s called the practice of law. You have to practice a lot to get good. She’s not going to spend the hours and hours it takes learning how to write well. She’s not going to do the grunt work of an associate. She’s not going to know all the little fiddly procedures that associates spend a lot of time to learn. I doubt she could name the parts of an appellate brief, much less wrote one. Even if you go to law school and get a JD (which she has not done – her certificate is not at all equivalent to a JD), that is the beginning of being a lawyer, not the end.
This is just a vanity project for her. It will make absolutely no difference to any criminal justice reform she’s supposedly doing. I support alternative pathways to become a lawyer, but what she’s doing makes a mockery of the years of hard, single-minded work that people like impact litigation specialists actually do.
No need to apologize. I’m not a lawyer but I can certainly understand and respect how you feel.
I don’t find the apprenticeship galling. Before law school became the preferred way, most lawyers apprenticed. To be clear: I’m not arguing that she should have gone to law school. One of my professors once told me that the legal community talks about being “practice ready” when you come out of law school, but the truth is the average lawyer coming out of law school still has a lot to learn to completely run a case from start to finish.
When I say she’s making a mockery of the years of work, I am specifically talking about the fact that, even after passing the bar, most lawyers still have a lot more work to do to become a truly competent lawyer. It is simply not possible for her to have done that work and lived the life she has very publicly been living for six years. There is just no way she has spent hundreds of hours writing briefs. I believe she’s learned about procedure in California. I’ll even buy that she learned about case law and how to break down a case. She probably has some skills. But she’s missing the consistency needed to develop those skills beyond the basics.
Good for her for getting through her program. She passed the baby bar, which isn’t nothing. She deserves to celebrate that accomplishment. But (at least as I recall) she said the point of this was to do criminal justice reform work. Nothing about this indicates that she has the skill set to do that competently.
I’m right there with you, Another Anna.
And for those wondering, the next bar exam is the end of July.
@AnotherAnna – another lawyer here (prosecutor) and I agree 100% with what you wrote.
The actual work required to be a lawyer is not something she has ever done. And the fact she’s calling it law school is her vanity coming out.
Would she know who Lord Denning might be? Can she describe the concept of the fertile octogenarian ? This program sounds like it is a focus on the procedure, but the reality is that law school teaches you how to approach a case for it to be successful in court (facts sometimes make this difficult regardless).
At the end of law school and writing the bar (and in many commonwealth jurisdictions about a year of articling / pupillage) the person is supposed to be equipped to take a file and run it until trial. Does anyone seriously think she is capable of that? Not with the short cuts all over the place.
The practice of law is not like tv. It can be tedious, stressful and takes a lot of your life. She is better off playing a lawyer on tv because in real life she would be a risk for any potential client.
I can see how the apprenticeship program would be galling, but I don’t see how KK has made a mockery of anything. She applied for a state-approved program, did the work and was awarded the certificate, so she must have met the requirements. Whether she intends to become a lawyer is up to her. There are plenty of people out there who’ve gone to law school and then decided to do something else. That doesn’t mean they’ve made a mockery of law school.
Also a lawyer here. What you have said is true, and also true of every freshly minted attorney. She won’t be an attorney until she meets all her state’s requirements and is sworn in, just like all of us, and, just like all of us, she will merely have met the minimum requirements for practice. Of course you aren’t competent immediately after you take the oath. The baby lawyers I work with who have gone to reputable law schools and passed the bar on the first try are total dumb dumbs when they start to practice, just like I was. No, she’s not a lawyer yet, but she checked this box, which her state considers the equivalent of a JD for the purposes of being permitted to sit for the bar. That’s all this is, and it is what it is.
I don’t know Kim’s situation but my father went into law school straight from Jr College and has been a practicing attorney since the 70’s in TX. And yes he took and passed the bar. He’s a good attorney and a smart guy.
Honestly, whether she intends to actually work in law or not, what she committed to do and has actually done is impressive, especially considering how easily she could have quit without consequence. I would love to study psychology one day, but I don’t want to work in psychology, so even if people call it a vanity degree, I think Kim is genuinely interested in law and justice, and good for her!
Just here to pile on-she didn’t “graduate” from law school, not even close, and she does not have a JD. She can be proud, others can be proud, sure, but she didn’t do what she didn’t do. I think about 4% of people who go this route go on to pass the California bar. If there was a time for her to say “it’s too hard and I give up,” it’ll be when she delves into bar study. When I took the bar, studying for it was my job. If she’s not willing to put *everything* else aside, she’ll never pass it.
I am not cheering on this Trump supporting clown. She and her MAGA family can go sit somewhere.
It is NOT a JD or a degree. I say this as an attorney.
She also does not have a bachelor’s degree and she certainly never was accepted to a law school. She has also never taken the LSAT.
I’m so tired of this vanity project.
I wonder.. If this had been anyone else other than Kim, would the comments be any different? Probably.
It’s possible. At the same time, this entire family has shown us who they are over and over again. I seem to remember hearing something back when all of this started that she said she didn’t intend to be a practicing lawyer so this really is just a vanity project to get people to see her as an intellectual or legitimate and get the respect for ‘becoming a lawyer’. They’re always chasing something and like I said, they keep showing us who they are and it’s not great.
Personally I didn’t find my fancy law school taught me a lot of practical things about the actual practice of law, and I think this apprenticeship model makes a ton of sense for someone who wants to do focused litigation. Assuming she can now pass the bar!
Whatever it is, JD or some other certificate, congrats to her! This is education for education sake, and it is in stark contrast to her sister dumbly wondering aloud about the use of school.
This took hard work and should be celebrated.