The Food Lover's Guide to Law

By Ope Adebanjo

With a playful yet effective use of culinary metaphors, The Food Lover's Guide to Law is a must-read to savor the l

• Language: English
• Publisher: Entrope Publishing
• Release date: Sep 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988553212

Ope Adebanjo

Ope Adebanjo is a Harvard Law School-educated lawyer and legal technology expert. Passionate about law and artificial intelligence, legal operations, and non-traditional paths in the law, Ope often advises students and lawyers on how best to leverage their legal expertise in the 21st century.

Book preview

THE

FOOD lOVER’S GUIDE TO LAW

A fun and delicious way

to learn the Law

Ope Adebanjo

Copyright © 2023 by Ope Adebanjo

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publishers except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

To request permissions, contact the publisher at [e-mail].

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, investment, accounting or other professional services. While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials.

Hardcover: 979-8-9885532-0-5

Ebook: 979-8-9885532-1-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023917617

First hardcover edition: September 2023

Edited By Sarah Wu

Graphics By Maria Manzano

Cover Art By Opeyemi Ikuborije

Layout By Seun Edunjobi

Printed By Entrope Publishing in the

United States of America

Entrope Publishing

P. O. Box 172126

Memphis, TN 38187

entropepublishing.com

Dedication

For every law student who dreams of a better world (and refuses to forget it).

Acknowledgements

This entire book-writing process has been a labor of love that took many hands. I’m grateful to my entire community for their love, encouragement, and support. Community is strength and I have felt that most truly during this journey.

I thank God for the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to share all I’ve learned during my legal journey. You’ve guided me through every step. I look forward to all the places we’ll go.

I want to thank my early readers Akua Abu and Chinaza Asiegbu, my fellow African women in law. You are both brilliant and I’m so grateful for your encouragement during this process.

I want to thank the Section 6 Quarantorts for their amazing energy, their kindness, and their inspiring desire to learn. Creating the Torts Pizza Kitchen for you guys was one of the highlights of that crazy pandemic time.

I also want to give a special shout-out to Professor Jon Hanson for his amazing leadership and care for his students. You’ve been an amazing mentor to me and I am incredibly grateful to get the opportunity to work with you and learn from your passion for the law.

Many thanks to all the Section Sixers who’ve come before me and made that community as special as it is today.

I want to say thank you to all of my 1L professors. Thank you guys for all your hard work to get me to where I am now. I finally understand it now, so thank you for your patience with all of us legal newbies. I want to thank all of my law school mentors and professors for their leadership, their kindness, and for doing what they can to help train the next generation of lawyers.

I want to thank my friend Ayo Okunowo for his amazing help with photography and branding.

I want to thank Omolayo Omotosho, my fellow lawyer sister who read my entire manuscript and gave me such helpful tips.

I want to thank my ATL community and all my friends that I’ve gained since graduating law school. Thank you guys for being fun, kind, caring, and supportive during this book-writing journey.

I want to thank my best friend Bosoye Olagbegi for encouraging me to write the book and encouraging me every step of the way. Thank you for giving much-needed wisdom and pep talks all through the journey.

I want to thank my Harvard BLSA and HALA communities for being the kind of lawyers people look up to. For the absolute brilliance you bring to everything you do, thank you. Walking through that stressful law school journey left me inspired and encouraged to keep going even at the hardest times.

I want to thank the team that helped bring this book and brand together at Mystique Rose Publishing, including Porsche, Sarah, Maria, Opeyemi, Milos, Esther, Preet, Seun, and Nina. A special shout-out to the entire team at Entrope Publishing.

I want to thank my parents Dr. Lola Adebanjo and Dr. Gbenga Adebanjo. Words can’t describe how much your unconditional love and support have meant to me all these years. You are my original mentors and I am grateful for your servant leadership in all areas of your lives. You both exemplify the kind of professional I want to be—excellent practitioners who never forget to care for humanity and the community. Thank you for your sacrifices, wisdom, and goofy genius.

I want to thank my brothers Tolu Adebanjo and Joba Adebanjo. You both mean the world to me, from the way you pursue your dreams and passions to the love you show to everyone you meet. Thank you for making me a better sister, and by default, a better lawyer.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Cooking as a Reprieve

New Ways of Learning

Introducing The Food Lover’s Guide to Law

Civil Procedure

Introduction

Ten Steps to the Final Dish

Conclusion

Torts

Introduction and Ordering Basics

Let’s Order

Intentional Torts

Create Your Own Pizza—Negligence

Deep-Dish Pizzas—Strict Liability

Extras—Pastas, Salads, and Wings

Conclusion

Criminal Law and Procedure

Introduction and Ordering Basics

Components of a Crime

Specialty Burgers—Crimes

Sides

Desserts—Defenses

Criminal Procedure—Shakes

Conclusion

Contracts

Introduction

Applicable Laws—Know Your Codes

Taco Intro

Contract Requirements—Taco Components

The Mailbox Rule of Acceptance

Taco Creation Considerations

Performance Issues—Grading Your Taco

Reasons for Non-Performance—Taco Leniency

Remedies—Refund Policy

Conclusion

Property

Introduction

Understanding the Menu

Interests in Land

Servitudes

Tips on Ordering—Land Sales

About Us

Food Safety—Zoning

Conclusion

Constitutional Law

Introduction

Sources of Law

Separation of Powers

Federalism—National vs. State Power

Bill of Rights and Amendments

Rights + Liberties: Fundamental Rights

Rights and Liberties: Due Process

Equal Protection

Freedom of Speech—First Amendment

Freedom of Religion

Conclusion

Conclusion

Resources

Index

About the Author

Introduction

1L and Unhealthy Habits

1L. The term alone can strike fear into the hearts of anyone who’s been through it. That triggering reminder of the most difficult year of law school. I’m sure this was the case for many of you. Whether you’re a 1L right now or graduated years ago, we all know how daunting a completely new experience can be—that feeling of being dropped headfirst into this new world called the Law, with all its jargon and cases and funny-sounding legal language.

I remember when I showed up to my 1L orientation. I was so doe-eyed and bushy-tailed and so excited to learn about the law, to understand how our country was built on this system of rules and frameworks that created our society. Do you remember that feeling? That feeling of nervous excitement and butterflies in your stomach as you entered the law school classroom for the first time? Maybe those butterflies are coming back now as you think about how, despite your best intentions, you came out of orientation feeling more disoriented than ever. There was just so much information. So many meetings. So many readings. Even the lunches were stressful! Orientation showed me that law school was going to be an intense endeavor and that I needed to prepare myself for the roller coaster that I was about to embark on.

You’re likely feeling the same way as you begin your first year (or maybe your second or third). The intensity of learning so much information so quickly can take a toll on your mind and body. Often, in our rush to study for the next exam, read the cases for the week, or do citations for that journal article, the little things quickly fall away. Things like sleeping, eating right, and texting our friends back can seem impossible when there’s so much work to be done. But one thing I found during law school was that those seemingly little sacrifices can really start to add up, affecting our physical and mental health.

Cooking as a Reprieve

During my first year, in combination with my bad eating habits and the amount of stress I was under, I was the unhealthiest I had ever been. By 2L in the fall, I was determined to do better and actually take care of myself. The first step was to learn how to cook. I started ordering meal kits to my apartment and would spend the precious hours after classes learning how to cook. I was learning how to cut vegetables correctly, how to sauté dishes, how to season in layers, and how to balance flavors and textures—all skills that I didn’t even know I needed. In the evenings, I traded in my casebooks for cookbooks and found peace from the anxiety and worries of law school.

Nothing relaxed my mind and gave me more peace about all my assignments and cases than cooking a recipe from start to finish. There was something about the step-by-step nature of it—moving my hands in a repetitive nature (such as from chopping and dicing) and having to focus on making sure I didn’t burn anything or took it off the stove before it was fully cooked. It all helped me feel like I could turn off my mind and just be still. And the best part was the reward at the end—a delicious meal worth all of that great work.

New Ways of Learning

Learning how to cook at the same time as I was learning the law allowed me to make some interesting connections. We all know that law school dictates a very specific way of learning. You show up to class with your completed readings and you’re cold-called by your professor, who peppers you with questions. You’re asked to recite the facts or your rendition of the holding and your opinion on whether it was correctly decided. You may even be asked to critique what other folks in your class have said. It’s kind of a gotcha model at times and it feels like you have to constantly be on your toes, lest you be humiliated. And your law school classes are set up so that nothing is really graded until the very last test. You just have your final exam, through which the full weight of your grade will be decided.

One thing I found about this model was that it put a lot of stress on the body and mind to constantly be alert and always make sure that you had covered your bases. You never really felt like you had done enough reading or preparation. And when you showed up for the exam, the stakes were higher than ever. You had to make sure you remembered everything from the semester and anticipate any possible ways in which your professor could challenge you. And when the dust had settled and I got my grades back, I was discouraged to find that despite how much time I’d spent studying one subject or how well I felt I had grasped a certain subject, the grades I received didn’t always reflect the amount of effort I’d put in. This all led to a deep sense of depression and hopelessness about how much work I would have to put into law school and for what result.

For me and my peers, the consequences to mental health from the traditional law school model haven’t been great. According to recent studies, over 75% of law students have increased anxiety because of law school-related stress, and over 50% reported experiencing depression because of it. And many more see increased rates of disrupted sleep, physical health issues, and thoughts of self-harm during their law school years.¹

But one great thing that I found that was different about cooking was that it required a different way of learning. I was able to take my time, learn through repetition, and understand the importance of technique, including how small movements and actions grow into larger, more complex concepts. I also got to be a bit more self-paced in my learning path. I chose the recipes I wanted to cook. I chose when I wanted to cook. And I figured out what I needed to learn, recipe by recipe, through my own way of learning. As a visual learner, I was able to use recipe pictures to not just understand something by just thinking or reading about it but also to visualize what the final dish and the recipe path were supposed to look like from start to finish.

Introducing The Food Lover’s Guide to Law

We all have different learning styles, like auditory, kinesthetic, and visual. But law school does not necessarily provide a model that allows students to learn in the way that they think best. The Food Lover’s Guide to Law seeks to bring all these thoughts together and celebrate the many different ways we all learn. Each chapter has two components—the diagram and the explanation. The visual conceptual diagrams provide a great resource for students to see the core legal subjects from a 10,000-foot view, providing a map to help guide their way through the course. The food analogies are designed to appeal to the fun and playful side of ourselves that we’re often encouraged to leave at the door when we enter the law. And the easy-to-understand explanations make the complex simple and can be read and referred to throughout your time learning the subject. As you go through each chapter, I recommend reviewing the diagram first, then reading the explanation while referring back to the diagram to better understand the legal concept being discussed.

This book is meant for law students, recent grads studying for the bar, practicing lawyers, and even lay folks who are just interested in understanding the American legal system and the legal concepts and subjects in it in a new way. But first-year students can benefit the most from this book. By the end of it, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the core legal subjects and be able to distinguish which part of the torts or property world you may be in at any given week in the semester. By relating legal concepts to food, the accompanying explanations will help make the often abstract concepts that come