Kim Kardashian Is Being Shaded By Lawyers

It’s no secret that the most infamous Kardashian’s new career goals have been a source of controversy. Since the world learned Kim Kardashian is becoming a lawyer, it’s been a frenzied back-and-forth between those who think the whole thing is a joke, and those who think we should respect Kardashian West’s commitment. When it comes to her description of law school, however, the legal community seems to agree: there’s something wrong with this picture.

The comment by Kardashian West that struck the biggest nerve is included in a Vogue profile from April. “To me, torts is the most confusing, contracts the most boring, and crim law I can do in my sleep,” the reality star rattled off. “Took my first test, I got a 100. Super easy for me. The reading is what really gets me. It’s so time-consuming.” Needless to say, the law students and attorneys of Twitter had something to say about this.

First, there’s the fact that calling any aspect of law school “super easy” is likely to offend the many people who (rightfully) found it difficult. As a Twitter points out, “sound bits from Vogue such as ‘I can do Crim Law in my sleep’” are frankly “insulting.”

https://twitter.com/KovacsRyker/status/1116514892540813318 https://twitter.com/kelhat8/status/1116358380132630529 https://twitter.com/JayDevvvv/status/1118257677363183617

Then, there are those who question the validity of her comments as they apply to law school. Another user posed the following: “Kim Kardashian said she got a “100” on her first Crim Law exam. That’s how you know this new storyline is full of shit. Law school exams aren’t fucking multiple choice tests graded out of 100.”

https://twitter.com/ORLGators/status/1116102987838046210

The issue of Kardashian West’s privilege is raised once again as well. Another critic tagged the aspiring lawyer in a tweet remarking “some people actually spend money on going to law school… did you know that???”

https://twitter.com/LibbbyMooore/status/1122683061513199617

Finally, the mention that reading is “so time-consuming,” along with Kardashian West’s complaints earlier this week about working “like, a 14-hour day,” have some questioning whether she’s ready for the time commitment of working in law. An attorney writing for the blog Above The Law calls 14-hour days “medium hours,” and cautions her with the following: “Remember, this is about assisting non-violent drug offenders incarcerated by a broken system. They have to spend, like, 24-hour days in prison.”

In the end, we fully respect what Kardashian West is trying to do here, even if she could’ve been a little more sensitive to what other law students are going through. It’s important to remember that she’s not studying to become a lawyer in the traditional sense: she’s undertaking a law apprenticeship with the specific goal of furthering her efforts in criminal-justice reform. These attorney’s and law students’ reactions imply that Kardashian West will be competing with them for attorney roles, and that’s simply not the case. We should be glad that she’s taking the opportunity to educate herself on law topics, and gain a more nuanced understanding of the policy she hopes to reform — not shaming her just because her experience looks different from ours.

Originally posted on SheKnows.