Her journey was far from easy. Kim faced numerous hurdles, most notably the “baby bar” exam—a challenging first-year law student’s exam required for those not attending accredited law schools. She failed the exam twice before passing it on her third attempt in 2021. “I was told by top lawyers that this was close to impossible,” she said in a social media post. “It feels so good to be here and on this journey.”
She also successfully took the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) in 2025, an ethical requirement before one can sit for the California Bar Exam. With that hurdle cleared, only one final step remains before she can legally practice: the bar exam itself.