The Moment
Kim Kardashian shared on Instagram Saturday that she did not pass the California Bar Exam. In her post, she joked that she’s not a lawyer yet — she just plays one on TV — and said she’s six years into her legal journey but isn’t quitting. No shortcuts, just more studying.
She also reiterated a long-standing goal: moving into the courtroom. Yes, Kim wants to become a trial attorney. For a woman with one of the most scrutinized calendars in pop culture, that’s not nothing.
The Take
I’ll say it: failing the bar is humbling. And saying it out loud, on your own feed, is even more so. Plenty of people with far less public pressure take two or three swings at this exam; it’s practically the Mount Everest of standardized tests, and most climbers don’t summit on the first try. Fame can open doors, but the bar exam doesn’t care how many followers you have.
Still, the move to own the moment before anyone else can spin it is savvy and, honestly, refreshing. Kim has built Phase Two of her career around criminal justice reform, study sessions, and that notoriously gnarly “baby bar” she eventually conquered. Sharing this setback keeps her brand aligned with something rare in celebrity-land: transparency. It also normalizes late-career pivots for the rest of us who’ve ever stared down a big test, a new license, or a second-act dream and thought, “Am I too old for this?”
Could she fade back into pure mogul mode and never touch another law book? Absolutely. But the consistent message — keep at it, no shortcuts — signals seriousness. She’s playing the long game, not the optics game. And if she does wind up trying cases one day, this chapter becomes part of the origin story: the famous woman who had every excuse to quit and didn’t.
Receipts
Confirmed:
Kim Kardashian will for sure “SKIM(S)” those law textbooks a few more times … ’cause she didn’t pass the bar exam on her first try … but she’s ready to try again!
Read more: https://t.co/kwgb7i0kC7 pic.twitter.com/qyNuyC8FfK
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 9, 2025
- Kim Kardashian stated on Instagram (Nov. 8, 2025) that she did not pass the California Bar, is six years into her law journey, and will keep studying; she also reiterated her goal of becoming a trial attorney.
- Kim previously announced on Instagram (Dec. 13, 2021) that she passed California’s First-Year Law Students’ Examination (the “baby bar”) after multiple attempts.
- Her advocacy in criminal justice reform predates today’s news, including high-profile clemency work for Alice Marie Johnson, which culminated in a presidential commutation in 2018.
Unverified:
- None at this time.
Sources (human-readable):
- Kim Kardashian, official Instagram post, Nov. 8, 2025.
- Kim Kardashian, official Instagram post announcing baby bar passage, Dec. 13, 2021.
- White House public statement on the commutation of Alice Marie Johnson, June 2018.
Backstory (For Casual Readers)
California allows an apprenticeship route (“reading the law”) in place of a traditional law school, but it comes with extra hurdles — including the “baby bar,” a tough first-year exam Kim passed in 2021. Since then, she’s documented years of study alongside prison reform efforts and legal mentors. Passing the full bar is the final big gate before she can practice as an attorney in California, which is why this attempt drew so much attention.
What’s Next
The California Bar Exam is offered multiple times a year, so she’ll likely have another shot in the months ahead. Expect more late-night outlines, flashcards, and her trademark study-group posts. We’ll also be watching for any updates about clerkships, courtroom observation hours, or mock trial work — the kind of steps that sharpen trial skills well before a license arrives. And if history is any guide, future episodes of her family’s show will probably pull back the curtain on the prep, the pressure, and the payoff.
Question for you: does Kim’s openness about failing make you more or less confident that she’ll eventually pass — and does that kind of transparency matter in how you view celebrity “second acts”?
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