Despite the many memes that came with Kim Kardashian’s decision to study law in 2019, the career step made sense.
At this point, the reality star had already been assisting with some criminal justice matters, not to mention her dad, Robert Kardashian, was a notorious lawyer himself, representing OJ Simpson in his infamous murder trial.
WATCH: Kim Kardashian West meets Alice Marie Johnson for the first time
So once the jokes wore off, we all watched with anticipation and curiosity as Kim, 41, began her Elle Woods era. When we didn’t hear anything about her study for a while, some theorised that she might have given up on her legal dreams.
Life hack… don’t tell people you’re studying to be a lawyer until you actually have the accreditation. It’s like going for your P-Plates. You don’t tell anyone you’re taking the driving test, you just rock up to school after you’ve passed and offer to take your friends on a Maccas run.
But props to Kim for hard launching her law journey and holding herself accountable – this author would absolutely opt for the P-Plate life hack. Nevertheless, those who thought that Kim might soon start archiving any legal-themed Instagram posts have been proven wrong, as the reality star just passed the “baby bar”.
Um… but what actually is the baby bar? And what comes next for Kim’s law journey? We had the same questions, so we found out all the answers.
So, unlike Elle Woods, Kim is not currently enrolled at Harvard Law (what, like it’s hard?), or any other institution. But in California, you don’t actually need a degree to become a lawyer.
Basically, there are two roads into law.
Option one… get a degree.
To do this, you first need to obtain a bachelor’s level of education in any field you’d like. Then, you take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). If successful, you can then apply to law school or a law degree program where you will likely work toward obtaining a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (AKA: a Doctor of Jurisprudence).
Next up, you have to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) prior to completing the California Bar exam. Once you pass, you are officially qualified to obtain a license to practice law in the state of California. (But you still have to complete education credits every three years to maintain your licensure).
It’s safe to say that Kimmy has been a little busy for that route – from filming a reality show, to launching SKIMs, to chilling with Pete Davidson, her schedule is a tad hectic ATM.
So, the star opted for an alternative road into law.
According to the State Bar of California, there are a couple of ways to practice law without a degree. These include:
“Four years of study with a minimum of 864 hours of preparation at a registered unaccredited distance-learning or correspondence law school.”
OR
“Four years of study under the supervision of a state judge or attorney.”
It seems that Kim has chosen the latter option – a journey which started in 2019. And instead of flying under the radar, she debuted her law era with a major Vogue profile. Honestly iconic, Elle Woods could never.
In the profile, the reality star explained that it was her prior experience with criminal justice matters that inspired her to get more involved in the discipline.
In 2018, Kim helped release Alice Marie Johnson from Alabama prison – who had been incarcerated on a nonviolent drug charge since 1996. In her Vogue profile, it was also revealed that Kim had been working with CNN commentator and activist Van Jones, as well as attorney Jessica Jackson on criminal justice reform; she visited prisoners, petitioned governors, and attended White House meetings.
“I had to think long and hard about this,” the 41-year-old told Vogue about her decision to complete the four-year apprenticeship.
“The White House called me to advise to help change the system of clemency,” she said. (Clemency refers to when a defendant’s sentence is reduced or they’re granted a pardon).
“And I’m sitting in the Roosevelt Room with, like, a judge who had sentenced criminals and a lot of really powerful people and I just sat there, like, Oh, sh*t. I need to know more. I would say what I had to say, about the human side and why this is so unfair. But I had attorneys with me who could back that up with all the facts of the case.
“It’s never one person who gets things done; it’s always a collective of people, and I’ve always known my role, but I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society. I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it, and if I knew more, I could do more.”
Period. Cut to Kim studying for the baby bar – which has consumed the KUWTK star’s past two years.
As an explanation, the baby bar is formally known as the First Year Law Students’ Examination. It is a one-day test given remotely in June and October.
Kim previously failed the test three times but eventually passed it, and took to Instagram to delight in the accomplishment.
“OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!!” she wrote. “Looking in the mirror, I am really proud of the woman looking back today in the reflection.
“For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me.
“I failed this exam 3 times in 2 years, but I got back up each time and studied harder and tried again until I did it!!! (I did have COVID on the 3rd try w a 104 fever but I’m not making excuses😉)
“In California, the way I’m studying law you need to take 2 bar exams, this was just the first one but with the harder pass rate. I was told by top lawyers that this was a close to impossible journey and harder than the traditional law school route but it was my only option and it feels so so sooooo good to be here and on my way to achieving my goals.
“A big thank you to @vanjones68 who talked me into going to law school in the first place before introducing me to @jessicajackson and @edyhaney who have brought me along to watch their every move in the court room. I respect them so much and appreciate you both for letting me tag along and ask all of the little questions along the way.
“And Bar Bri Law School bar prep- I couldn’t have done it without you guys! Setting me up with professors @sam.arlen.farkas and @chuckshonholtz changed my life. Thank you guys for putting in the hours and teaching me everything I needed to know! 10 hour days, daily 4 hour zooms, our in person practice tests week after week. We did it!
“I know my dad would be so proud and he would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now but he would have been my best study partner. I am told he was notorious for making fun of people who didn’t pass on their first attempt like he did, but he would have been my biggest cheerleader!
“Bottom line is don’t ever give up even when you are holding on by a thread, you can do it!!!!! Set your mind to it and get it done because it feels soooooo good once you get to the other side! ⚖️ 📚.”
So, what’s next for Kim?
As mentioned in Vogue, the SKIMS owner was always planning on taking the bar (the big boy one, not the baby) in 2022. According to the State Bar of California, the next exam is scheduled for February 22nd-23rd.
We guess we’ll have to wait and see if Kim undertakes this round and what the result is.
Bring on Kim’s law era! We can’t wait for the biopic 😍.
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