Did Barack Obama get a law degree?

Asked by: Zella Treutel  |  Last update: April 7, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (47 votes)

Obama graduated from Harvard Law in 1991 with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude. In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.

What was Barack Obama's LSAT score?

The easiest to predict, by far, is Barack Obama's score, mostly because we have some data. Based on admissions records, we can deduce — somewhat reliably — that Barry-O scored between the 94th and 98th percentile on his LSAT. Using today's grading system, that would place him somewhere around a 170.

Which president has a law degree?

Other US lawyer-presidents include Franklin Roosevelt, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Woodrow Wilson and Bill Clinton. Barack Obama follows in the footsteps of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president, as the second Harvard law graduate to make his way to the Oval Office.

Did Michelle Obama ever pass a bar exam?

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Michelle Obama failed the bar exam the first time she sat for it. Mrs. Obama went on to practice intellectual property law for Sidley & Austin before becoming First Lady!

Did Joe Biden pass a bar exam?

His grades were relatively poor, and he graduated 76th in a class of 85. He was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969. Biden clerked at a law firm headed by prominent local Republican William Prickett in 1968 and self-identified as a Republican.

Harvard Law Classmate Describes Barack Obama

45 related questions found

Did Hillary Clinton pass the bar exam?

Hillary Clinton took both the Washington DC and Arkansas bar exams. While she passed the Arkansas Bar Exam, she did not pass the bar exam in Washington DC. That did not stop her, though! She went on to practice in the intellectual property field in Arkansas and has since become a leading political figure.

What degree does Donald Trump have?

His Fordham friends introduced him to golf. In his junior year, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, most often commuting to his father's office on weekends, and graduating in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics. He was not the top student he sometimes claimed to be.

Did Barack Obama ever practice law?

He became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. In 1996, Obama was elected to represent the 13th district in the Illinois Senate, a position he held until 2004, when he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate.

Who is the only president that has a PhD?

Woodrow Wilson is known as one of the nation's greatest presidents and is the only U.S. president to hold a Ph. D. degree. Wilson was the 28th U.S. president and served in office from 1913 to 1921.

Who is the most educated president in America?

Most educated presidents

Woodrow Wilson is the only U.S. president to have obtained a Ph. D., which he received from Johns Hopkins University in 1886 for his work titled "Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics", and George W. Bush is the only U.S. president to have attained an MBA degree.

Did Kim Kardashian pass the LSAT?

That said, the question about what the “Kim Kardashian LSAT score” was, or if she even took the LSAT ends in a resounding no. This unconventional choice has sparked conversations about making legal education more accessible and exploring diverse paths in the legal profession.

Which president had no college degree?

List of Presidents Without College Degrees. George Washington: The nation's first president never took college courses but did earn a surveyor's certificate. James Monroe: The nation's fifth president attended William & Mary College but didn't graduate. Andrew Jackson: The seventh president did not attend college.

What is Michelle Obama's degree in?

She majored in sociology and minored in African-American studies, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985 after completing a 99-page senior thesis under the supervision of Walter Wallace.

What 8 presidents went to Harvard?

Eight Presidents of the United States have graduated from Harvard University: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, John F. Kennedy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

Who is the only president with a PhD?

Wilson remains the only president to have an earned doctorate (he earned a Ph. D. in the History of Government from Johns Hopkins University in 1885) and still ranks as the recipient of the most honorary degrees (thirty-three).

Which president was a self-taught lawyer?

Abraham Lincoln had no formal education and was a self- taught lawyer. 6. Grover Cleveland is the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms.

Which president became a lawyer without going to law school?

Abraham Lincoln enjoyed a successful legal career in Illinois spanning nearly 25 years. Like most lawyers of his time, he did not attend law school. It was customary to study under established lawyers, but he lived in a rural village and taught himself.

Does Joe Biden have a degree?

At the University of Delaware, Biden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 with a double major in history and political science. In 1966, Biden married Neilia Hunter, a student at Syracuse University.

Did Donald Trump get good grades?

In four out of the five years Trump attended NYMA, he made its honor roll, requiring a grade average of eighty-five, though he was not in the highest ten percent of his class; Trump had a grade average of eighty his sophomore year. He earned a class geometry medal for a perfect score.

What is Trump's net worth?

For decades, Forbes has assessed his wealth, currently estimating it at $5.1 billion as of early June 2025. Meanwhile, Bloomberg estimated his wealth at $7.08 billion in January 2025.

How many times did JFK Jr. fail his bar exam?

Kennedy earned a Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law in 1989. He then failed the New York bar exam twice before passing on his third try in July 1990. After failing the exam for a second time, Kennedy vowed that he would continue to take it until he was 95 years old or passed.

Did Michelle Obama ever pass the bar exam?

Michelle Obama

The former First Lady, failed the Illinois bar. She was devastated, having never failed a test in her life, but pulled herself up by the bootstraps and passed on her second attempt. In her book Becoming, she states, “In the end, aside from issues of pride, my screwup would make no difference at all.”

What's the hardest bar to pass?

What is the hardest bar exam to pass? California has a notoriously hard bar exam, with only 45% of first-time takers passing the Feb 2024 bar exam, and 24% of repeat takers passing the July 2023 exam. However, there are other states with lower pass rates in July 2023, including Maine, Wyoming, and Maryland.