Kim Kardashian steps back from bar exam after years of trying to become a lawyer

Kim Kardashian’s legal journey is hitting pause, at least for now. After years of studying and an attempt at passing California’s bar exam, the reality star and billionaire is reportedly stepping back from the process.

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According to TMZ, Kardashian decided not to take the February bar exam, and she does not plan to take the test again in July. The state only offers two opportunities each year, so she won't be able to take it at all in 2026. 

Sources told the outlet she’s choosing to wait, and her next possible attempt wouldn't be until 2027. The Skims founder hasn’t publicly confirmed the timeline. 

Kardashian has been dedicated to becoming a lawyer for years, but at least she can say she plays one on TV. She stars as divorce attorney Allura Grant on All is Fair. 

The update comes less than a year after Kardashian revealed she had failed the notoriously difficult exam. She found out she fell short in November after taking it in July 2025. But she made it clear at the time that her ambitions weren’t going anywhere, thanking supporters and brushing off critics. 

"Well...I'm not a lawyer yet, I just play a very well-dressed one on TV," she wrote on her Instagram story. "Six years into this law journey, and I'm still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up - just more studying and even more determination."

However, in an episode of The Kardashians, when she was studying for the exam, she told producers that if she failed, she likely wouldn't try again. "I really want it, and if I don’t pass, I don’t think I would take it again. I wouldn’t have the time for a few years, and then I’m older, and then my brain capacity is different," she said. 

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Back in December 2021, Kardashian celebrated a major milestone when she passed California’s “baby bar” exam after multiple attempts. “OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!!” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “Looking in the mirror, I am really proud of the woman looking back today in the reflection.”

She was also candid about how difficult the process had been. “For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me,” she shared, revealing that she had failed the exam three times over two years before finally passing. “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!!!”

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Kardashian has always framed her pursuit of law as something deeply personal. She was following in her father, Robert Kardashian, who famously defended OJ Simpson's footsteps. “Spending time with my father at his office definitely influenced me,” she told Hong Kong Vogue in 2022, adding that the work has “been in my soul for years.”

Her motivation has also been rooted in advocacy. “I’m very passionate about Criminal Justice Reform, and I want to advocate for those who I feel were wrongfully convicted,” she continued, explaining why she chose a non-traditional path into the legal field.

It's basically unheard of to pass the bar without going to law school, but Kim completed a four-year California Law Office Study Program, essentially an apprenticeship instead, finishing in May 2025.