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We fight, We win, Am Yisrael Chai
Several legal ethics experts said that if a person is not a licensed lawyer but is identifying as one, that presents serious ethical and legal problems.
"A J.D. degree does not make you a lawyer," said Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York University School of Law.
Bruce A. Green, the director of the Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics at Fordham University School of Law, agreed. "A law school graduate is just that - a law school graduate," he said.
A person is considered a lawyer or an attorney only after being admitted to practice law, Green said, adding that in most states, this requires passing a bar exam and demonstrating proper character.
Leonard M. Niehoff, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, said that there is a "world of difference" between having a law degree and being a licensed attorney. And, he said, there could be consequences for falsely claiming to be a licensed attorney.
Zacharia resides in California, according to public records. In a statement Tuesday, a spokesman for the State Bar of California said that it "has no record of Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black having been licensed to practice law in California." The spokesman also said there are no records under Katie, her nickname.
The spokesman said that as a general matter, "California Business and Professions section 6126 makes it unlawful for anyone who is not an active licensee of the State Bar, or otherwise authorized pursuant to statute or court rule to practice law in California, to advertise or hold themselves out as practicing or entitled to practice law in California."
And even if Zacharia worked for a law firm in China, she probably would not have been admitted to the bar there, given that country's requirements, experts in Chinese law said.
"She could not have passed the PRC [People's Republic of China] bar exam, either, since you have to be a PRC national to take it," said Donald C. Clarke, a professor at George Washington University Law School who specializes in Chinese law.
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"A J.D. degree does not make you a lawyer," said Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York University School of Law.
Bruce A. Green, the director of the Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics at Fordham University School of Law, agreed. "A law school graduate is just that - a law school graduate," he said.
A person is considered a lawyer or an attorney only after being admitted to practice law, Green said, adding that in most states, this requires passing a bar exam and demonstrating proper character.
Leonard M. Niehoff, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, said that there is a "world of difference" between having a law degree and being a licensed attorney. And, he said, there could be consequences for falsely claiming to be a licensed attorney.
Zacharia resides in California, according to public records. In a statement Tuesday, a spokesman for the State Bar of California said that it "has no record of Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black having been licensed to practice law in California." The spokesman also said there are no records under Katie, her nickname.
The spokesman said that as a general matter, "California Business and Professions section 6126 makes it unlawful for anyone who is not an active licensee of the State Bar, or otherwise authorized pursuant to statute or court rule to practice law in California, to advertise or hold themselves out as practicing or entitled to practice law in California."
And even if Zacharia worked for a law firm in China, she probably would not have been admitted to the bar there, given that country's requirements, experts in Chinese law said.
"She could not have passed the PRC [People's Republic of China] bar exam, either, since you have to be a PRC national to take it," said Donald C. Clarke, a professor at George Washington University Law School who specializes in Chinese law.
Katie Zacharia calls herself a lawyer. Legal experts aren't sure.
Katie Zacharia made her debut as President Donald Trump's new White House press secretary Tuesday morning, breaking news (announcing that Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign as ambassador to G...
