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CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
This co-valedictorian gave her speech in Anishnaabemowin
Social Sharing It was an historic moment at the Bora Laskin Law School graduation earlier this spring. Co-valedictorian Cassandra Spade gave her speech in Anishnaabemowin. Cassandra is from Mishkeegogamang First Nation but also spent a lot of her time growing up in Couchiching First Nation and she has big plans as she moves forward in her law career. She spoke with Mary-Jean Cormier, the host of Superior Morning, about those plans and what it was like giving her speech in Anishnaabemowin. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Mary-Jean Cormier: Can you tell me what it was like to be up on stage speaking Anishnaabemowin? Cassandra Spade: I cried walking up to the stage. I was trying to hold myself together during the speech. Throughout the speech, you can hear pauses where I'm very much overcome with emotion, and it's because it's such an unimaginable thing to think that a valedictorian address would be given in an Indigenous language and especially at a law school. So, it was really special to me, but it also felt like all of the language teachers and the people who supported my language learning were in that room with me. So, it was very, very special. MC: What did you say? CS: I opened by saying that this is perhaps the first time at a Canadian law school where this address is given in an Indigenous language, specifically Anishinaabe. But I also said that this moment didn't happen by myself alone. There are a lot of people who have nurtured me and loved me and taken care of me to get me to this point and who taught me the Anishinaabe language. So, I'm not a first language speaker. I learned as an adult and I'm specifically talking about one elder from Lac Seul First Nation. She specifically told me when I first started learning that if you take care of the Anishinaabe language it will take care of you. I didn't really know what it meant at the time, but throughout law school I learned that our language holds all of our law, and by learning my language and taking care of it and practising it, I was really reinforcing our laws and learning and kind of preserving them. So it was really special to learn that in law school. MC: Speaking of law school, beyond the language piece, what did it mean for you to graduate from law school? CS: I've obtained a law degree, which is really special. I'm the first one in my family to go to law school and to graduate, and it makes me reflect on all of the people in my family who are so talented and skilled and are able to give to the community in so many different ways. So, I think about all of the things that my family has taught me specifically about kindness or thinking about other people or listening to other stories. Throughout law school, those are the skills that kind of carry you through law, and it's all about your community. And so it was really special for me because I wouldn't have been in law school had it not been for my family, my broader community, all of the support at law school. So, it really is an accomplishment to the community at large. I only did two per cent of the work and everyone else kind of did like 98 per cent of the work. MC: What drew you to this field in the first place? CS: When I was nine years old my sister was bit by a dog on our reservation. It wasn't a bad bite, it was just a little nip, but I kind of got this idea that the dog should be vaccinated and tagged in the community, not only to protect the children in the community, but also to take care of the dogs. So, at that time, I had learned that there were a lot of bylaws and policies about getting veterinarians onto reserves. So, I created this petition and with the help of my dad, I walked from house to house to house in the winter, it was very cold, to get people to sign this petition so that the community would do vaccination and tagging for the dogs. Eventually it came to fruition, and it was the first time I felt like wow, I can make some change and this is really exciting. So, since I was very young, I've always wanted to be a lawyer. MC: What kind of path do you see before you in law? CS: I'm very much interested in practicing Inaakonigewin, which is Anishinaabe law and right now across all Canadian law schools who are just kind of beginning to think about indigenous laws. This is something that I'm very passionate about. I wrote research in my last year of law that interviewed people in the Anishinaabe language so that we could talk about Anishinaabe law. It's just such a different legal system compared to the Canadian one, and I think Canadian law schools and the Canadian legal system at large has a lot to learn from Indigenous people. MC: Do you think looking at law from a different perspective could change some of the situations we're in? CS: Indigenous laws are very good at doing something called pluralism, and that's where many different legal systems can exist at the same place. So, Canadian laws, Indigenous laws and other laws like international law can all exist in a relationship together. And so although the Canadian justice system may look very different from an Anishinaabe one, the Anishinaabe structure at large can hold place for both of them. What I mean by this is the Canadian justice system is built on deterrence and denunciation, whereas the Anishinaabe one is more focused on rehabilitation and building relationships and kind of restoring people so that they can continue to be part of the community. So, Indigenous law offers Canadians a new way to think about this relationship between different legal systems and I think at this moment in time in Canada, the Canadian law structure is really struggling to think about what is that relationship. I think when people learn about Indigenous law, it offers an opportunity to start thinking about what does this relationship really look like? What should it look like? And how do we exist without really trampling on one another or trying to take over one another? MC: Who will you be working with? I think they're going to be very lucky. CS: I'm going to hopefully, upon being called to the bar and becoming a lawyer and licensed, I'll be practising in the Rainy River District at Judson Howie. But until then, I'll be a student at law, so you'll see my face around the office. I'll be supporting them in all the work and I'm so excited to be working in this region, particularly because I spent so much time growing up in Couchiching. MC: How long before you get called to the bar? I have to study for the bar and there are two exams — there's the barrister, which is basically when you go to the courthouse and you do your criminal law and you do your civil litigation and family law. And then I have to finish the solicitor's exam, which is more focused on business law and contracts and wills and estates. These giant, massive exams happen in the month of June and if I pass them, fingers crossed, I'll be called to the bar in August or early September.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Jordon Hudson, Kash Patel and MJ's fax machine: Pablo Torre's ‘terminal content brain' battles the algorithm
He remembers the sweat trickling down his forehead, feeling the weight of his ambitions and the future he'd mapped out. Pablo Torre could see it: a spot in an esteemed law school, a summer clerkship for a Supreme Court justice, a corner office for a corporate law firm in midtown Manhattan. It wasn't the path his parents had pushed for — both were doctors and badly wanted him to attend medical school — but it would certainly suffice. Advertisement He was an honors student at Harvard, the sociology major who edited The Crimson and won an award for his 114-page thesis, 'Sympathy for the Devil: Child Homicide, Victim Characteristics and the Sentencing Preferences of the American Conscience.' Next up was law school. Torre spent the summer holed up in the library, studying for the test that would open the door to the rest of his life. 'If a genie had appeared to me and said you have three wishes, I would've used one on a perfect score on the LSAT,' he says now. 'It was the thing standing between me and the dream.' A panic attack wasn't a part of the dream. But while he sat at his desk and started the test, the angst, the pressure — all of it — began crashing into him. I'm ruining my life, he told himself. He bombed the test. Everything swerved that day, and Torre still wonders what life would look like if it hadn't. 'Failing that test ended up being the thing I am most thankful for in my entire life,' he says. Because without it, the 39-year-old isn't the busiest man in sports media and having the moment he is. There's no fact-checking job at Sports Illustrated, no 11-year run at ESPN, no chance to start his own show, 'Pablo Torre Finds Out.' There's no Edward R. Murrow award, nor Peabody nomination, nor headline-generating investigation into Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson, Belichick's girlfriend and business manager. There's no recurring seat on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe,' either, with the possibility of bigger things on the horizon. None of it happens if Torre doesn't bomb the LSAT his senior year of college. He retook the test and passed. But a year passed — then another, then another — and Torre never got around to applying for law school. 'By the time my LSAT score expired, I had realized something,' he says. 'I was a journalist.' He remembers feeling like a fraud, mostly because he was. He was a year out of college and sitting across from Bill O'Reilly on Fox News' top-rated show, trying to make a salient point about Michael Phelps' historic haul at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It didn't go well. O'Reilly barely let him get in a word. But for Torre, it opened a door. Advertisement He was doing two things at once: honing his journalistic chops at Sports Illustrated by going line by line through work from some of the best writers in the business: Gary Smith, S.L. Price, Tom Verducci — the 'f—ing lions of literary sports journalism,' Torre calls them — and simultaneously inching his way into debate television. Whenever a network booking agent asked for someone from the magazine to fill a seat and dish on the day's sports news, most writers shrugged. Torre jumped, credentials be damned. In time, he admits, he became 'radicalized by the drug of television.' He'd pre-write arguments and rehearse lines in private. He'd anticipate rebuttals and memorize witticisms, then pounce on the air when he sniffed an opening. Within a few years, the grunt from the fact-checking department had found his voice. He also was climbing the ranks at the magazine. Torre's 2009 investigation, 'How (And Why) Athletes Go Broke' started as mere curiosity. He spent months reporting and writing the story on his days off, not telling anyone. After publication, it would become one of the most-read stories in SI's online history and later the inspiration behind the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, 'Broke.' The road wasn't as smooth as it sounds. Torre is a first-generation American — both parents are from the Philippines — whose athletic career failed to extend beyond seventh-grade CYO basketball. When it came to sports television, especially in the early 2010s, he didn't look like most on set. Didn't sound like them, either. He recalls telling a few friends at a barbecue in 2012 that he'd just taken a job at ESPN. 'So, like, in IT?' he remembers someone asking. 'Because he's not a former professional athlete and because he's Asian-American and because he uses big words, it makes him different. It can be scary to people,' says Mina Kimes, an NFL analyst at ESPN of Korean descent. 'It can make people question you in ways that other people aren't questioned.' Advertisement But, Kimes says, there are advantages, even if they're hard to see. 'It makes you stand out,' she says. 'It makes a different set of people who haven't been able to see themselves on TV excited to watch. I think Pablo's always recognized that, which is something I admire about him. He's never tried to be anything other than who he is.' What he became at ESPN was a Swiss Army knife, capable of writing 5,000-word profiles for the magazine while holding his own on shows like 'Around the Horn' and PTI. In 2016, Torre was rumored to be in the running to fill the chair opposite Stephen A. Smith on 'First Take.' Would he fit? Depends on who you ask. Torre's 'schtick,' as he calls it, doesn't always land, and his high-brow vocabulary turned off some viewers. 'Smug, condescending, arrogant,' New York Daily News media critic Bob Raissman wrote in a stinging assessment at the time. 'In other words, a perfect fit for ('First Take'). Looking down from Mt. Pablo, he delivers highfalutin sports edicts designed to make the rest of us schlubs look like idiots. Overnight, he would turn (Smith) into a man of the people.' Torre didn't get the job, but in 2018 he got the chance to co-host his own show alongside Bomani Jones. 'High Noon' was canceled after two years, with ESPN citing poor ratings. That led to Torre's initial pivot into podcasting, but hosting 'ESPN Daily' left him largely unfulfilled. Five days a week, he was essentially interviewing other reporters about their reporting. Privately, he never felt the buy-in from the bosses. 'I got the sense they really didn't care,' he says now. He felt stuck, a pinch-hitter in a bottomless lineup capable of holding his own on whatever show they threw him on but rarely doing something distinct. Part of Torre loved being a fill-in, riding the wave of success that others had built. It was safe. It was easy. 'I was a coward for a long time,' he admits. But something was gnawing at him. The more he became a bona fide talking head, the more his visibility grew and his paycheck fattened, the less he picked up the phone. He used to love picking up the phone. It went back to his first job in the business, the job that made him forget about law school. At SI, Torre was constantly calling sources, double- and triple-checking details gleaned by the likes of Smith, Price and Verducci, and offering him a glimpse into how great stories come together. 'It was like taking an MRI to art,' Torre says. It's what made him fall in love with journalism. Advertisement 'Pablo never actually left reporting,' says Erik Rydholm, a Torre friend and the producer behind PTI and 'Around the Horn.' 'It's part of his essence as a human being.' But that essence, Torre felt, needed a new outlet. When he surveyed sports media, he felt the industry had lost a sense of curiosity. Gone were the days he'd pick up a magazine eager to be wowed by what was inside. He knew he was as guilty as any. So much of his world was former jocks yelling at each other about LeBron or the Cowboys. He wanted to pick up the phone again. So he decided to leave ESPN. 'I tell my wife this show is our second child,' Torre says of 'Pablo Torre Finds Out,' his show for Meadowlark Media that launched in 2023. He's been accused of having 'terminal content brain,' which means he can't turn it off. Every interaction, no matter how trivial, could end up being a bit. 'When your job is professional curiosity,' he says, 'it's all-consuming.' Some of Torre's closest friends had a running joke after his daughter was born: How long until she shows up in an episode? To their surprise — and relief — it hasn't happened yet. 'He's shown great restraint not turning his daughter into a content mill,' jokes pal and regular PTFO guest Katie Nolan. Torre is still part-time at ESPN, filling in on PTI and 'Around the Horn' — until its 23-year run ended this month — while his presence on MSNBC continues to grow. He's a regular on 'Morning Joe' and recently guest-hosted for a full week. MSNBC producers were so impressed when Torre came on to talk sports that they decided he should be talking politics, too. It took longtime host Joe Scarborough all of five minutes to recognize the budding talent. 'Oh,' Scarborough mouthed to a producer during Torre's first appearance, 'this guy's good.' 'We really think we've found somebody,' Scarborough says. 'He jumps on a few times with us and we immediately start hearing from people all over the company, 'This guy's great!' Management seems to love him up and down.' Advertisement All those reps Torre logged debating Dak and the Cowboys and LeBron and the Lakers helped ease the transition. He's become an incisive voice on the network, whether discussing the downfall of Twitter — 'It's like Elon Musk moved into my phone and I have to leave,' he said on air — or the country's immigration crisis. 'Pablo makes TV look easy,' Scarborough says. 'I can promise you, it's not.' Despite two high-profile television roles, it's 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' that doubles as both a passion project and the biggest bet of his career. One of the reasons Torre had to leave ESPN, he realized, 'was that I wanted to take on subjects and investigate stories I didn't think I had the green light to do there.' At PTFO, he says, 'adversarial journalism is something I strategize around.' The reason? Fewer and fewer were doing it. Torre felt that too many sports podcasts were built on the same premise: tackle the day's news, interview some big names, churn out takes of varying temperatures. 'This is something Pablo and I have talked a lot about,' Kimes says. 'These days everybody just talks about what's trending on the internet instead of opening up a magazine or a newspaper and being led to stories they never expected to read, stories that are incredibly well done and fascinating.' What Torre wanted, he says, was a show 'that would cut through the noise in a way people were not used to in this medium.' It all went back to a lesson he learned at Sports Illustrated. 'When you're reporting a story,' he says, 'the best stuff you get is the s— you don't predict.' PTFO wouldn't traffic in typical sports fare, even though he knew that's what the metrics told him audiences wanted. 'The algorithm rewards the biggest headlines and the biggest characters and the biggest stories,' Torre concedes. But where was the surprise in that? Advertisement 'I look at all the races being run,' he continues. 'I'm not a former professional athlete. I can't sit around and tell stories about my decades-long career. I'm not going to do f—ing pizza reviews. I'm not going to sing karaoke in cars. I'm not gonna eat hot wings across from celebrities.' So he hired a staff of around a dozen producers and editors, added a rotating cast of correspondents and sought to find stories everyone else was missing. 'I knew it'd be good,' says Meadowlark Media co-founder and longtime sportswriter-turned-radio host Dan Le Batard. 'I knew it was going to surprise me. I could trust that I would follow him on a journey that would end up with a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.' In the 19 months since its launch, PTFO has interviewed a Cowboys fan on death row in a Texas supermax prison (the episode that earned the show a Peabody nomination). It uncovered how Russian oligarchs were quietly puppeteering the world of Olympic saber fencing. It interviewed Ember Zelch, a transgender athlete at the heart of one of the country's stickiest debates (the episode that won an Edward R. Murrow award). 'Pablo could be doing anything he f—ing wants, which is why he's hosting four hours a day on MSNBC,' says Ezra Edelman, a Torre friend and the Academy Award-winning director of 'O.J.: Made in America.' 'He's got a huge brain. He just chose the toy department as his lane because he wanted to use sports as a way to explore bigger issues.' Current and former colleagues like Le Batard, former ESPN president and Meadowlark co-founder John Skipper, Kimes and Nolan are staples of the show. One episode featured Torre and a few friends sampling every brand of athlete-sponsored cannabis they could find, complete with reviews. For another, they tried to track down the fax machine Michael Jordan used to send his world-shaking 'I'm Back' memo in 1995. Another featured a tongue-in-cheek inquiry into whether Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was deliberately missing fourth-quarter free throws to gift the home crowd free Chick-Fil-A. 'The hardest thing to do these days at the algorithm trough we're all feeding at is to constantly produce the things that people say, 'Oh, I wish I had thought of that,'' Le Batard says. 'That's being friends with Pablo,' Nolan adds. 'He'll tell you a story idea he has and you'll whisper to yourself, 'Why can't I think of stuff like that?'' The show has its detractors. Marcus Jordan, son of Michael, and Larsa Pippen, ex-wife of Scottie, bristled at the way they were portrayed in an October 2023 episode of PTFO. 'It was very one-sided,' Pippen said on an episode of the couple's podcast. 'It was a hit piece.' PTFO has been threatened in the form of nasty emails and phone calls but has yet to be sued. Torre calls this a win considering some of the subject material covered. A recent episode dug into how and why a Venezuelan soccer goalie — a man with no criminal history — disappeared amid the Trump administration's anti-immigration efforts. Another centered on FBI director Kash Patel and his relationship with Wayne Gretzky. Advertisement 'This is a famously vindictive guy who has pledged to investigate journalists and seek retribution against the deep state and their enablers in the media,' Torre says of Patel, before half-jokingly adding, 'He might be listening to this call right now!' No story has generated more traction than his reporting into Belichick, 73, and Hudson, 24. After 'The Jordon Rules' was released on May 9, Torre appeared on dozens of shows to discuss the findings and the fallout, a media car wash of sorts that catapulted PTFO into the mainstream. The University of North Carolina refuted some of his reporting, including the allegation that Hudson was banned from the UNC football facility. Hudson called Torre's reporting 'slanderous, defamatory and targeted' on Instagram before deleting the post. The attacks on his credibility have irked him — 'I'd be lying if I said that didn't bother me,' he explains — but Torre says he stands by his reporting 'in totality and in specific.' He won't apologize for the tabloid nature of the stories, nor will he hide from the fact that he genuinely enjoyed uncovering what he did. 'It's both highbrow and lowbrow,' he says, 'a study of power that's rarely this unvarnished and this embarrassing.' PTFO, it seems, is straddling an ever-graying line in modern journalism, balancing the need to attract and maintain an audience without compromising its ethical backbone along the way. Torre knows he's playing the game. He believes for his show to survive, he must. 'I would love it if the Jordon Hudson story was not 10 times more popular than the thing that got us nominated for a Peabody,' he says. 'But I also know that the hardest thing in podcasting and digital media is people literally being aware that you even exist.' Thus, the unifying premise of the show remains unchanged: uncover something surprising. Mix the silly — even the salacious — with the smart. 'All I want people to know is we do three of these a week, and if you think this one's a little too lowbrow for you, A.) my mom agrees and B.) we're doing stuff that I think proves we are defined by, more than anything, our range,' he says. 'I just want (the Belichick/Hudson story) to be a reason people click on the other stuff. Advertisement 'To me, that's the joy of trying to navigate the algorithm in 2025 … as well as the torture of it.' For Torre, the greatest affirmation comes when someone tells him they listened to an entire episode of PTFO after initially having no interest in the topic. He hopes to ask — and answer — enough questions to keep them coming back. 'It occurred to me that the show's name was the perfect title because it embodied what it meant to be a reporter and discover and be surprised,' he says. 'But it will also be the perfect epitaph if all of this goes horribly wrong.' (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; photo courtesy of Meadowlark Media)
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kim Kardashian Law School Graduation & Degree Explained
Curious whether graduated from law school? Fans got their answer when the reality star celebrated completing her legal studies after six years of hard work. The surprise graduation ceremony, shared on social media by Khloe Kardashian, featured heartfelt speeches, family tributes, and a proud display of Kim's diploma. Here's what we know so far about Kardashian's law school journey, her nontraditional path, and what comes next. Kim Kardashian officially completed her law program in May 2025 after six years of study. She celebrated the milestone during a private graduation ceremony with her family, mentors, and close friends. Kardashian pursued a nontraditional legal path in California called 'reading the law.' This program allows individuals to study under a licensed attorney instead of attending a formal law school. She began the journey in 2019, inspired by her work on criminal justice reform and clemency cases like Alice Marie Johnson's. Attorney Jessica Jackson, one of Kardashian's mentors, said during the ceremony: 'Six years ago, Kim Kardashian walked into this program with nothing but a fierce desire to fight for justice. No law school lectures, no ivory tower shortcuts, just determination and a mountain of case log books to read.' Jackson noted that Kardashian committed 18 hours per week, 48 weeks per year, for six years—totaling over 5,000 hours of legal study. In March 2025, E! News reported that Kardashian had taken the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), a requirement for bar admission in most U.S. jurisdictions. Kardashian previously passed the California First-Year Law Students' Exam, also known as the 'baby bar,' on her fourth attempt in 2021. Khloe Kardashian shared several videos and photos from the May 21, 2025, ceremony on her Instagram stories. Kim Kardashian wore a graduation cap, held her diploma, and received praise from her mentors. She turned her study flashcards into placemats for the celebratory luncheon. Van Jones, who also attended, acknowledged the skepticism Kardashian initially faced. He said, 'Six years, seven years ago, when you were working on criminal justice, you were not embraced by anybody,' but praised her commitment to marginalized groups (via Today.) The post Kim Kardashian Law School Graduation & Degree Explained appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Kardashian graduates law school
The reality star has graduated from law school after six years of legal training. Kim announced the news on Wednesday, and threw a small commencement ceremony for family and friends, including sister Khloe Kardashian, kids Saint, nine, Chicago, seven, and Psalm, six, as well as her pal Van Jones. 'All of you guys have been on this journey with me," Kim said in her speech, which was shared on Khloe's Instagram Stories. The TV star explained she had been "dumbfounded" by the state of the legal system, so had started looking into criminal justice reform.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kim Kardashian fans convinced she could be eyeing political career at the WHITE HOUSE after inspiring post
Kim Kardashian is thrilled that she has finally graduated law school. On Thursday the 44-year-old reality TV star took to Instagram to post a long, heartfelt note with behind-the-scenes photos of the ceremony. Some fans said in the comments section they think that graduation from law school is a step toward becoming the President of the United States and entering the White House. 'You are unstoppable, next road the WHITE House!' said one as another added, 'Air Force One Kardashian model is being made as we speak.' Kardashian was dressed in a conservative manner with her children in suits to convey the gravitas of the milestone. 'Six years ago, I embarked on an unconventional path to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer. It wasn't easy, and it took longer than planned, but I never gave up. Each course brought moments of doubt, tears, and triumph - especially when I conquered subjects I initially feared,' the SKIMS founder began her message. She then said 'that's the beauty of life: you step into the unknown, push through, and emerge with knowledge and strength no one can take away.' Kim chose a rigorous program registered with the California State Bar, building on 75 college credits to complete a four-year curriculum that stretched to six, she added. 'The journey was real, and so is the accomplishment,' noted the older sister of Khloe Kardashian, She then gave a shoutout to Chris Young, Michelle West, and Dawn Jackson, the people she helped get out of prison, saying having them speak at her graduation 'meant the world to me.' Kim said: 'Their deeply personal stories of perseverance through adversity and injustice profoundly inspires me and form the heart of my 'why.' 'I'm deeply grateful to Van Jones, who introduced me to this path, and to my mentors, Jessica Jackson and Erin Haney, whose guidance was invaluable. 'Special thanks to Sam Farkas and Chuck Shonholtz, who dedicated countless hours to help me succeed. 'This experience has shaped me profoundly, and I'll carry its lessons with me forever. Here's to celebrating resilience and new beginnings!' Khloe said in her comments box: 'We are so proud of you!' Also at the graduation ceremony were Allison Statter, Tracy Romulus, Zoe Winkler, Step Shep, and Simone Harouche. The reality TV star, 44, celebrated the achievement with a backyard ceremony — where she was the only student — and proudly shared the video to her Instagram. The mom-of-four was pictured sitting next to a podium in a grey top, a black mini skirt, and a beige graduation cap, while her mentors gave speeches praising her, and her family and kids watched, though North could not be spied. One of her mentors even called it 'one of the most inspiring legal journeys we've ever seen.' Kardashian didn't attend traditional law school. In California, individuals can become lawyers by completing a four-year Law Office Study Program (LOSP), also known as 'reading the law,' instead of going to law school. She still needs to pass the Bar Exam to practice law in the state. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Her mentor went on to speak about Kim's 'fierce desire to fight for justice' and noted the star did not take any shortcuts and was full of 'determination.' She added Kim finished the program while 'raising four children, running businesses, filming television shows, and showing up in courtrooms to advocate for others.' Another mentor spoke about how Kim has 'advocated for clemency, helped reunite families, and brought national attention to the most broken parts of our legal system.' CNN 's Van Jones also appeared at the ceremony, praising her for her criminal justice efforts. Kim later approached the podium to get her diploma, as her younger three kids — Chicago, seven, Saint, nine, and Psalm, five — watched. Her sister Khloe Kardashian shared a clip about the ceremony, expressing how proud she is of Kim for completing the journey. Olde sister Kourtney Kardashian also celebrated, posing in a graduation cap in an Instagram snap. President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump — who's good friends with Kim — congratulated the star, sharing a photo from the graduation and writing, 'Congratulations Kim! You did it! My favorite law school graduate!' For the past six years, Kim has dedicated roughly 18 hours a week to studying law, totaling more than 5,000 hours. Her efforts paid off when she passed the 'baby bar' back in 2021. Kim's process took longer than four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and her busy schedule. Kim had already passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination back in March — a big exam for her program — sources told TMZ. The star marked her graduation with a celebration at Beverly Hills hotel. Kim's chic look for the day was completed with white heels and black stockings. It's unclear if her eldest daughter North West, 11, was present. Kim shares all four of her kids with ex-husband Kanye West, 47. The star's late father, legendary attorney Robert Kardashian, was clearly on her mind during the special day, as she shared a photo of him. He gained national recognition in the mid-1990s for his involvement in O.J. Simpson's murder trial, where he served as a friend and defense attorney on Simpson's legal 'Dream Team.' He passed away in 2003 from esophageal cancer. He was 59 years old. Kim also shared an adorable snap of her son Psalm in a suit enjoying some ice cream, and proudly wrote, 'my babies were there to see my graduate. ' Daughter Chicago was also clad in a suit to watch her mom graduate. Kim also showed a photo of the placemats at the celebration, which were versions of her study flash cards. The reality TV star reportedly plans to take the bar exam in 2026. In 2018 Kim started her dream of wanting to become a lawyer like her father. She started her law apprenticeship in the state of California in mid 2019.
