Student Contribution: Madeleine French
In the midst of the final weeks of the trimester, a group of zealous law students huddled around a table piled high with notes. To keep their sanity, they decided to take a lunch break. That’s when Alex, known for their love of legal jargon, launched into a complex description of their meal.
“It is with great legal precision that I present to you my lunch—a veritable constitutional amendment to my dietary restrictions,” Alex declared, holding up a sandwich. “This represents a fundamental restructuring of my previous nutritional precedents.”
The group exchanged confused glances, when one member of the group decided someone had to finally speak up. “Okay, Alex, this has gone too far. Can you break that down for us?”
Realizing what they had just said, Alex snickered and agreed. “Sorry, what I meant was, I’m having a turkey sandwich because I’m on a new diet.”
The group burst out in laughter and quickly decided they needed an “emergency plain language intervention” to ensure everyone understood each other. They spent the next hour translating Alex’s legalese into everyday language, from “exhibit A” as a bag of chips to “cross-examination” as a request for extra napkins.
By the end of the session, the group not only knew each other better but also enjoyed their lunch with a newfound appreciation for clear communication.
