Kim Kardashian West has her sights set on a law degree and we are here for it
Following in Elle Wood’s footsteps, Kim Kardashian West stunned the public when she announced she’d be pursuing a law degree.
“What, like it’s hard?” was Elle Woods’ infamous response to her snide ex-beau, Warner Huntington III’s utter disbelief as to how an impeccably dressed social butterfly, who was once the president of Delta Nu sorority, could get into Harvard Law. In 2001, Legally Blonde’s leading lady Elle Woods taught us that intelligence and motivation can come in many forms. In 2019, reality TV’s leading lady Kim Kardashian West is teaching us those same lessons.
In her recent Vogue cover story, Kim revealed that she’s pursuing a career in law, and is currently in the process of completing her four year apprenticeship at a law firm in San Francisco. Kim never finished college, but California is one of four states where completing an apprenticeship is a valid alternative to law school. The reality star currently studies for eighteen hours a week with mentors Jessica Jackson and Erin Haney who have been appointed to supervise her studies. “To me, torts is the most confusing, contracts the most boring, and crim law I can do in my sleep,” Kim told Vogue. “Took my first test, I got a 100. Super easy for me. The reading is what really gets me. It’s so time-consuming. The concepts I grasp in two seconds.” She’ll be able to take the bar exam in 2022.
After diving into Kim’s history, this new career move isn’t too surprising. Let’s not forget that her father, Robert Kardashian, was a notable attorney who gained international recognition as O. J. Simpson’s friend and defense attorney during one of the most prolific cases in history, Simpson’s 1995 murder trial.
Kim also helped campaign Hillary Clinton’s presidential run in 2016, all while sustaining her hundred million dollar business. But the true turning point was when Kim visited the White House last summer to request a pardon for Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old woman who was serving a life sentence for a first-time drug offence. “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,” she told Vogue.
“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 if I knew more, I could do more.”
And just like that, our perception of Kim Kardashian West changed. The argument that Kim has only her sex tape to thank for the life she now leads is outdated, and quite honestly false. Kim has simply utilized her opportunities and resources correctly, which has allowed her to produce 16 seasons of one of the longest-running reality television series in America, build a makeup brand and quite frankly an overall empire, and now embark on an entire new mission.
This past weekend, Kim took to Instagram to set the record straight on just how hard she’s been working. “Last year I registered with the California State Bar to study law. For the next 4 years, a minimum of 18 hours a week is required, I will take written and multiple choice tests monthly. As my first year is almost coming to an end I am preparing for the baby bar, a mini version of the bar, which is required when studying law this way.
I’ve seen some comments from people who are saying it’s my privilege or my money that got me here, but that’s not the case. One person actually said I should “stay in my lane.”
I want people to understand that there is nothing that should limit your pursuit of your dreams, and the accomplishment of new goals. You can create your own lanes, just as I am. The state bar doesn’t care who you are. This option is available to anyone who’s state allows it. It’s true I did not finish college. You need 60 college credits (I had 75) to take part in “reading the law”, which is an in office law school being apprenticed by lawyers. For anyone assuming this is the easy way out, it’s not. My weekends are spent away from my kids while I read and study. I work all day, put my kids to bed and spend my nights studying. There are times I feel overwhelmed and when I feel like I can’t do it but I get the pep talks I need from the people around me supporting me. I changed my number last year and disconnected from everyone because I have made this strict commitment to follow a dream of mine – It’s never too late to follow your dreams.”
Kim Kardashian West is proving to girls everywhere, much like our beloved Elle Woods did many years ago, not to get stuck on other’s preconceived ideas about who you are and what you bring to the table.
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