Oops…That’s Illegal!: A Handbook for the Wildly Curious

by Mike Mandell

From the popular creator of @LawByMike, a hilarious guide to all your legal questions--from the obscure to the downright absurd.  Could you be arrested if you let your kids have a few sips of wine with dinner? Is it illegal to lie on your dating profile? Can a python be an emotional support animal? Most people don’t know the majority of our country’s laws, so they don’t know how to avoid breaking them, what their actual rights are, or when they can seek legal recourse. Lawyer Mike Mandell is here to change that, by answering your most burning legal questions...and some you didn’t even know you had! OOPS…THAT’S ILLEGAL! is a book of legal insight from a practicing lawyer who’s seen it all. Using the same light heartedness and humor that made his social account @LawByMike so popular, Mandell covers a wide range of topics from police encounters (Is it illegal to do a U-turn at a DUI checkpoint?) to party fouls (What’s the penalty for streaking?) to legal disputes (Can I sue my own lawyer for doing a bad job?). Funny, informative, and sprinkled with little-known legal facts throughout, OOPS…THAT’S ILLEGAL! is sure to help even the most upstanding citizens when they come face-to-face with their next legal dilemma.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Law

256 pages, Hardcover

Published June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Jon Barr]

Fun and quick. I liked his line about halfway through about lawyers needing to acknowledge their limits. He was referring to having an opinion on complex legal situations, but it applies to all of us, attorneys or not.

[Dan]

My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of this book that could have helped Springfield lawyer Lionel Hutz actually win in court, a book that tries to explains the many laws that make up the legal backbone of the United States, what not to do, and how to act when one breaks them, allegedly.

America is the land of the free and home of the brave. Which means that we have a lot of laws, cameras to make sure we don't break them, law enforcement who are trained to lie, and not to know laws and data centers to keep track of everything we do. Oh and lawyers. These laws can change from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Cattle crimes in Texas are handled differently than cattle crimes in Connecticut. One person's relaxation is a schedule II controlled substance. Law Enforcement are constantly amazed by people calling them out on their knowledge of laws, which are seldom better than the populous they police. For times when you are out celebrating your child's 13th birthday and ordering him a beer in a restaurant, ok in some states, maybe not your own, there is the book to try and keep you on the the straight and narrow. Oops…That’s Illegal!: A Handbook for the Wildly Curious (and the Accidental Outlaw) by Mike Mandell is a guide to the world of laws, how not to break them, when you might be, and what might come of it, dealing with life, crime, and even just trying to get by in these modern times.

The author Mike Mandell is a social media star with a popular site on entitled Law by Mike, available on many social media apps. Mandell is quick to point out what that laws differ from state to state, and his information is more general and for entertainment rather than legal advice. If one is studying for an upcoming trial, a popular quote has a lot of meaning ... who represents himself has a fool for a client. The book is broken into different sections criminal and dealing with police, civil, lawsuits, neighbors, divorce. And sections on being a renter and what can be considered fair, and questionable. The book is funny with lots of interesting scenarios, but speak a lot to what we as Americans think we know, through fiction, movies television, and what has slowly eroded away. Camera use, the fact that police can lie, and do it without penalties. That there is a part of the country where muder is legal from the fact a jury pool can't be gathered. That kids can drink with your parents while dining out. Mandell looks at family issues like divorce, renting homes, cars, accidents, and other interactions that might seem straight forward, until they happen, and suddenly everything is super complicated and confusing.

My brother-in-law is a lawyer, adoption law, but he worked once for a major firm, and boy does he have stories. I feel to be a good lawyer, one has to be a good storyteller, and that is Mandell. The advice is clear, the scenarios are things that people probably deal with all the time, and the humor fits. Many books that attempt to instruct use humor like a cudgel, Mandell is better than that. I found myself laughing a few times going, well that can't be real, and admiring how Mandell used a far-out story to make a point. One can learn a lot from this book, how odd the criminal courts are, how arbitrary laws are, and how one's lawyer can really get one away with murder.

A funny book with a lot to teach. A lesson in what we allow as people, how those in control reign us in, and how they control us in ways we don't think about. A good look at America, its legal system, and how hard it can be, even on easy things. And expensive. A lot of fun, and I will have to add another site to my long list of things to look at everyday. I hope Mike Mandell has more books in him also.

[Matt]

I hadn’t heard of Mike Mandell prior to reading this book, but after finishing it I can see why he has over 18 million subscribers on YouTube.
His sense of humor definitely comes across in his writing, and I’d imagine that it comes across even more so in his videos.

Although this book was primarily written for entertainment (and it is entertaining), it also includes some basic but practical information on employment law, tenant’s rights, what to say (and what not to say) when pulled over by police, and even legal issues pertaining to dating/sex.
Some of the case studies supporting an answer were even more interesting and surprising than the question being asked.

Obviously this is not going to be a substitute for speaking with an attorney, but if you just want some of the basics that are presented in a fun way, this is a great read!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange with my honest review.

Pub Date: June 16, 2026

[Joan Jordan]

In case you were wondering, one can sue a child aged four years and older. Also, if you plan to sleep it off in your car, it would be wise to put any open containers in the trunk and yourself into the back seat. This is the kind of helpful (?) information offered by attorney Mike Mandell. His book covers a variety of legal topics regarding contracts, traffic stops, and personal injury, among many others. All of his friendly advice (not to be confused with legal advice) is delivered with a fun dose of humor. Since laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, all of the advice is rather generic, but it does offer information on how to proceed should a person find themselves on the wrong side of the law. This is an entertaining, easy read, free of the legalese that confuses most lay people.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Judy]

Mike Mandell’s Oops… That’s Illegal is a genuinely funny and entertaining read. Written by a lawyer, the book tackles legal questions that border on the absurd, breaking down how the law actually interprets them in a way that’s both accessible and laugh-out-loud amusing.

I had a lot of fun learning how everyday (and not-so-everyday) scenarios are viewed through a legal lens. Many of the questions were things I’d wondered about but never thought to ask, and the wide range of topics keeps the book fresh throughout. Mandell’s humor and personality really shine, making this an unexpectedly educational and highly enjoyable nonfiction read.

[Michael]

***Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this upcoming book***
This book was FANTASTIC!! I was unfamiliar with the author and just happened to stumble upon this on NetGalley while looking for upcoming books to read. It was a breeze to read, it contains a lot of useful and interesting information and best of all it's hilarious! This book should appeal to pretty much everyone and is definitely worth giving a read!

[Melissa Hill]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very informative but also humorous, and the voice is strong as you learn about all these random facts of what is and isn’t illegal. Some things I already knew, while others I wouldn’t have even thought about asking when it came to, “Is that illegal?” This is definitely a book I will recommend, especially to those who love learning random facts and want some humor, too. Great read.

[Cari]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and to consider for purchase for my library.

Loved this! It's so funny and also informative. I am not much of a YouTube person, but my kids are, so I try to steer them to informative videos. Thus, we have watched a few of the Law by Mike videos. I really enjoyed learning about the law in a fun format.

[Linda]

This was okay. I didn't find it wildly funny, or the legal situations terribly outlandish, but then I've been tangentially involved in a case of someone getting a DUI citation while riding a bicycle.

Mildly diverting, mildly interesting. Best one can hope for from a lawyer without being billed by the hour, I think.

[Magic_of_books]

This is a fun book on understanding legal scenarios -- some wacky and unusual and some more common. The explanations and anecdotes illustrate that law isn't always straightforward and there is often a lot of room for interpretation. I'm interested to check out Mike's YouTube videos after reading this book! I thank the publisher for the advanced copy through a giveaway.

[Greer Rutt]

This was hilarious yet well informed! Thankful to have access to the ARC! Loved all the random illegal things I did not know. Like apparently cannibalism is legal... it is just the things to get to that point which are illegal... huh

[Miguel]

Legal Eagle

Found this not just informative but also hilarious? Like, I wish the author would do a similar book for Germany, but then again everyone knows that the Germans have no sense of humor so it would not work in that context and just be a regurgitation of the law here.

[Selene]

I'm not American, so this wasn't exactly helpful to me in the legal sense, but it was thoroughly entertaining! The author is hilarious and I enjoyed my time reading this book 😊

[kylie]

Delightful and truly absurd. My only complaint is I want more — more Qs, more footnotes, more real life stories.

**I received my copy from Netgalley.

[Kirsti]

Check your local laws if you have actual legal questions. If you're just looking for entertainment, though, this is a fun and sarcastic read.

[Thai]

Something you read out of curiosity.

[Sylvie V]

Silly book about random legal situations. It was funny. I learned some useful stuff too.