In this powerful interview, we had a sit-down session with Zaenab Adams, a dynamic legal professional whose journey defies conventional paths. After transforming her academic career from a Second Class Lower at LASU to graduating in the top 17% at the Nigerian Law School, Zaenab has seamlessly merged her legal expertise with a background in cybersecurity. Now the driving force behind YettyDlaw Properties, she stands at the unique intersection of law, technology, and real estate. She shares her story of grit, strategy, faith, and how she’s building a multifaceted career that challenges traditional boundaries.
Part 1: The Foundation – Overcoming Doubt & Fear
LawPedia: What was your biggest fear when you first arrived at law school, given your LASU result?
Zaenab Adams: My biggest fear was the fear of achieving my goal which is re-writing my story. I’ve always been a bright kid who excels and shines in the contemporary school and in Islamic school so graduating with 2:2 from LASU was a disappointment to me so my fear was “Do I still have that academic intelligence in me or is it a childhood thing that has gone”. I had a goal of making first class from NLS.
LawPedia: Can you describe a moment when you felt completely overwhelmed and thought, “I can’t do this”? What did you tell yourself to keep going?
Zaenab Adams: The moment my relationship took a downturn on the February 2024. I kept telling myself that I can’t afford to lose relationship and also come back to Law school. The grade wasn’t my priority anymore, my sole priority was not doing law school again.
LawPedia: How did you deal with the fear of failure, especially with so much at stake?
Zaenab Adams: I just kept telling myself that I can’t do law school again and I grounded myself with reading a lot
LawPedia: Was there a specific person who made you believe this turnaround was possible when you didn’t believe it yourself?
Zaenab Adams: No. I had not seen or had an idea of anyone who had made 2:2 from university then made first class from NLS.
LawPedia: Was there ever a time during Law School you felt like giving up? What specifically pulled you through?
Zaenab Adams: I wanted to give up everyday since February’s incidence. Reminding myself that I can’t do Law School again and that I had sacrificed a lot to be here so I just have to make it out. My friends and my dad who knew of the incidence immediately it happened also kept on reminding me that I can do it so their words kept on ringing in my head. So I felt if I didn’t do it, I’m not failing myself but also failing these people.
LawPedia: How did you handle comparison or competition with other students, especially those who had graduated with a first class?
Zaenab Adams: I do not compare or compete, I collaborate. That’s the principle I’ve been living my life by way before NLS so there was no reason to compare but rather I collaborate with them and they pour their knowledge into me. I present myself as a dullard whenever I want to learn from people.
LawPedia: Can you share a specific failure or low moment during your preparation and how you bounced back from it?
Zaenab Adams: The day Gidado asked me a simple question during our reading session (group of 5) and I couldn’t answer. This was less than 2months to the bar finals. I got back inside my room, cried then carried my books and kept reading. I told myself if Gidado, Bilal, Mariam and Aisha can know it, why can’t I? They all taught us here not like they knew it before resumption, I am not a dullard so why don’t I know this simple thing when it’s just less than 2months to bar finals.
Part 2: The Grind – Strategy, Structure & Survival
LawPedia: What did your daily reading timetable look like at law school? How did you structure your day to balance classes, personal reading, and essential rest?
Zaenab Adams: Wake up 2/3am to read till 6am, observe my solat then dress up for class. By 7-7:30am, I’m done with everything then I sleep back till 8:45am to head out to class. When I’m back from class, I sleep then from 4pm/5pm, I read straight to 8pm taking 5minutes breaks in between. Sometimes there is no break. I ensure I go to bed 9pm latest so I can have 6hours mandatory sleep then with the 1 hour sleep in the morning, I do 7hours. On weekends, I mandatorily sleep 8hours complete then I can do 6hours or 10hours inclusive of group discussions I do with my friends and colleagues. And on some weekends, I go out to have fun (I went out a lot in law school). On Fridays, I don’t read. It is always a movie day for me.
LawPedia: How did you take and organize your notes? Was it digital, paper-based, or a mix?
Zaenab Adams: I kept on changing strategies. I started with writing notes paper based but I realized it was slowing me down then I changed to digital writing but still the same so I gave up and was just reading straight up the material then when laws were quoted, I read from the law itself. My Instagram Highlights and YouTube has a few of my strategies.
LawPedia: What was your strategy for tackling practice questions and past exam papers?
Zaenab Adams: So when I am done reading a topic, there is this MCQ compilation (not NLS) that I attempt to test my understanding of the topic. Then I started tackling past exam papers when I returned to campus after externship in September. During externship, I tackled it also with my reading group and we were always discussing it. When I got back, i tackled them individually and also with groups. I had 3 groups I joined on campus and 2 during externship (1 virtual and 1 physical during externship)
LawPedia: How did you choose which textbooks or materials to use, considering the plethora of options available to law students?
Zaenab Adams: Remember my goal was first class so I read just notes from first class graduates of the set before mine. 1 was SA.Badmus material and the other was from my senior from the university , Toluwalase. PS: SA Badmus and Tolu were both my senior at the university , they were the set before mine so it made sense. Need I add that Toluwalase’s CTB picture was my DP while in law school as a reminder of my set goal irrespective of what I was going through. I read just those 2 and turned deaf ears to every other thing circulating around.
LawPedia: What was the one study habit you developed at law school that you believe was the biggest game-changer for your performance?
Zaenab Adams: Reading everyday for atleast 4 hours. In university, I always read when it’s like 1month to exam or when the test is next week but law school, I made it an obligation to read everyday for atleast 4hours on my lazy days.
LawPedia: How did you approach the bar finals differently from the regular law school exams?
Zaenab Adams: Attempting every past questions, resit questions, pre-bar questions I could lay my hands on. Provided it was questions, I was always attempting them asif I am inside the exam hall.
LawPedia: Food was a big challenge since cooking wasn’t allowed on campus. What was your go-to “survival meal” or where did you usually eat?
Zaenab Adams: So I had food poisoning quite a number of times. I ate from the vendors on campus, ordered from Tico’s Kitchen, Turkey Pasta quite a number of times and some others I can’t recall now but I ate the most from Sofresh and the pasta meal on Sofresh’s menu was my most bought meal. Eating from Sofresh took a lot of my money and I was known with Sofresh on campus even on my Snapchat . The fact that Sofresh was a trekkable distance from campus made it easier for me because for other vendors I had to be paying delivery fees.
LawPedia: How did you and your friends get creative with snacks or meals despite the restrictions? Any funny “hostel food” stories?
Zaenab Adams: I don’t have any. I’m not a junk person. Don’t let me cast my friend, he snuck toast machine into the campus and I once borrowed it to make toast bread.
LawPedia: How did you manage your sleep, and how many hours of sleep did you prioritize each night?
Zaenab Adams: Mandatory 6hours every night
LawPedia: Did you use any specific apps or tools for productivity, time management, or legal research?
Zaenab Adams: I only used my clock app. I’m actually a disciplined person when I honestly want to be disciplined. Quite a number of people don’t know that about me.
LawPedia: What was the biggest sacrifice you had to make to achieve this success?
Zaenab Adams: Leaving everything in Lagos to go to Portharcourt because I knew been in Lagos would be a distraction kind of. I had everything and everyone I could run to to run away from the going when the going gets tough so I left Lagos and everything I held dear to my heart in Lagos to go to a city I know I won’t have where to run to when the going gets tough.
LawPedia: How did you practice self-care during such a demanding period? Were there any non-negotiable breaks or activities?
Zaenab Adams: Rewarding myself with food and outings. I rewarded myself with sharwarma the day we did a test in criminal litigation before externship and I got above average. I was always rewarding myself with quality food and outings then i was active on social media. My way of life didn’t really change from the regular when I was in law school though. As for the food and outings, money wasn’t the problem because I had saved up alot of money before applying to law school then the dollar conversion rate increasing at that period really helped me live my best life . Then no reading every Friday was non negotiable. Friday was strictly movies once I’m back after classes
Part 3: Faith, Mindset & Support System
LawPedia: You mentioned “God’s grace” in your post. Can you share a moment where your faith was truly tested and how it strengthened your journey?
Zaenab Adams: My faith was tested by the incident in February. Allah really carried me because I wasn’t mentally and emotionally stable all through law school. I’ve never had panic attacks or anxiety before but I battled it all through law school ever since that incident that the doctor had to recommend medication and other medical stuffs to me.
LawPedia: How did you balance your spiritual life (e.g., prayers, meditation) with the intense demands of your studies?
Zaenab Adams: It doesn’t disrupt. We were not always in class during prayer times and during Ramadan, I ensured I fasted completely asides the ones I was islamically excused and I didn’t miss a night of the last 10days prayer. I just kept praying to Allah because he was the only one that could help me considering the fact that I wasn’t mentally and emotionally in a good space.
LawPedia: Did you have a specific scripture, quote, or mantra that you turned to for strength during challenging times?
Zaenab Adams: Fa Inna Ma AlYusri Yusra, Inna Ma AlYusri Yusra- Verily with hardship comes ease. Quran 94 verse 5&6 were my best friend. I was always humming it to myself even in my subconscious state.
LawPedia: How important is having a support system (friends, family, mentors) in achieving such a turnaround?
Zaenab Adams: Very important. My friends, Barakat and Tiwa with my dad held me down with their assuring words. They kept on believing in me even when I had given up on myself.
LawPedia: Tell us about your circle of friends. How did you all support each other through the stress?
Zaenab Adams: I had just 1 friend from university who was also in Law school. We planned to go to the same campus so we made our choices the same way (Abuja as 1st and PH as 2nd only for CLE to take her to Abuja and me to PH). We were always calling each other to discuss. Then to the friends I made in Law school, we were always meeting up for group discussions and I had individual discussions with some like Rukevwe. Then Gidado, a friend I made in law school took it upon himself to always send me questions from past questions unexpectedly on WhatsApp (sometimes I wake up in the morning to questions from Gidado) and I made sure I answered them like I was in the exam hall.
LawPedia: Who is one person you couldn’t have done this without?
Zaenab Adams: Almighty Allah ooooooooooooooooooo
Part 4: The Law School Experience – Fun & Community
LawPedia: What was your dorm life like? Any memorable roomie moments?
Zaenab Adams: I was roommate with matured ladies who were clean and also focused so there was no bad experience. We barely read together and we weren’t friends but we made the room conducive and safe for one another so no cause for quarrel.
LawPedia: What was the most memorable or fun non-academic activity you engaged in during law school?
Zaenab Adams: Being the content creator and handling the campus’s IG page. I made and edited all the videos from the campus even down to the SRC week. I was the official content creator. Our campus became more popular with my set because the videos were lit . I actually find so much joy and delight in creating and making memories and I’m grateful I didn’t let what I was going through deter me. I was using it as a distraction then because when I’m shooting and editing, my mind doesn’t wander unlike when I’m reading but now, It all makes sense.
LawPedia: Did you participate in any law school competitions (moot court, client counseling, etc.) or social events? How was that experience?
Zaenab Adams: You will find me where the fun and party is at always
LawPedia: How often did you leave campus for fun? Where did you go, and what did you do to relax?
Zaenab Adams: Almost every weekend often oo. Pleasure Park and some other parks around(I can’t remember the name), Restaurant to eat, Bowling center and some events too(I can’t recall the events now). I didn’t go to Bole festival because a PH native told me how rowdy it can be and how dangerous it is for me to go alone and that it was a night event. I also wanted to go to Bonny Camp but I was told it is more fun in December so I didn’t but every other popular location in PH, best believe I went there. I didn’t do much of restaurant because I’m not a restaurant vibe babes, my kind of vibes is where I will sweat out.
LawPedia: What was the most hilarious thing that happened in class or at the hostel?
Zaenab Adams: Soakway flooding my room on bar finals day(I can’t remember the exam we were to write on that day). We were seeing feaces inside our room. The scene was an eyesore. Now that I’m remembering sef, I want to puke.
LawPedia: Who was the funniest lecturer, and what was their signature joke or catchphrase?
Zaenab Adams: We didn’t have a funny lecturer but for signature catchphrase I’ll say Dr.Mrs Egbe and her catchphrase was, “Don’t look at me, look at your CAMA”. Or is the CAMA written on my face. Or Don’t kill me for Pastor Egbe oo.
LawPedia: What was your favorite way to unwind after a long week of lectures?
Zaenab Adams: Every Friday Movie time till late night with whatever meal I was in the mood to eat.
LawPedia: Was there a particular spot on campus where you and your friends always hung out?
Zaenab Adams: I was always in my room because I was always breaking down. I barely hung out with people because I don’t want to break down in the presence of people and I wanted to keep my ordeal to myself. For the discussions, we meet behind the moot court and it’s mostly 1 hour or 2hours at max.
LawPedia: Any unforgettable birthday or celebration you had during law school?
Zaenab Adams: None. I was extremely sad on my birthday.
LawPedia: As a Lasuite, what specific advice do you have for current LASU law students who might be struggling with their grades?
Zaenab Adams: Just give it your all. The end(results) will always justify the means(your efforts)
LawPedia: What is one thing about LASU that you appreciated most during your time there?
Zaenab Adams: My Political experiences and winning the students’ union public relations officer’s election as a 200level student. I was the PRO to Ojo, Epe and Ikeja campus. The experience shaped and mould me to be who I am today.
LawPedia: How did your experience at LASU ultimately prepare you for the challenge of law school, even with your initial CGPA?
Zaenab Adams: That nothing is impossible. If I could win an election as a 200level student with no political experience and no political post previously held and I gathered majority votes from the 3 campuses, it proved to me that I can achieve everything I set my mind to.
Part 5: The Climax – Results, Reaction & Celebration
LawPedia: Describe the emotional rollercoaster of waiting for your bar finals results. How long did you have to wait?
Zaenab Adams: I didn’t experience such because the waiting period was when I was now actually mourning the fact that my 6years relationship has gone into the thin air. There was nothing to distract me anymore so the reality dawned on me. We waited for about 5months.
LawPedia: What did you do to keep yourself busy and distracted during that waiting period?
Zaenab Adams: I couldn’t do anything oo. I was just there in full depression mode.
LawPedia: Did you have any rituals or superstitious habits while waiting for the results?
Zaenab Adams: Nothing. I honestly can’t relate to everything people felt while waiting for the results because I was in another world entirely.
LawPedia: How did you feel the night before or the morning of the result announcement?
Zaenab Adams: Nothing. I went to sleep. It was my friend, Barakat that called me around 1am that I should check the results and that it had been out since last night.
LawPedia: Where were you and what were you doing when you found out the results were out?
Zaenab Adams: I was sleeping. I have no idea the exact time the results was released.
LawPedia: Walk us through the moment you saw your name on the list. What was your immediate reaction?
Zaenab Adams: I screamed so loud that my neighbors had to come running . They thought someone had broken into my house.
LawPedia: Who was the first person you called or told after seeing your result? What was their response?
Zaenab Adams: I will rather not say but the 2nd person I called was my dad and my dad was extremely happy. When I told him I made 2:1, his joy knew no bounds because I had given up on turning my story around and was just satisfied with even a pass. I just didn’t want to do law school again.
LawPedia: What went through your mind when you realized you not only passed but finished in the top 17%?
Zaenab Adams: Fabbi Ayi Alayi Robikumo Tukaziban. Which of the Favour’s of Allah will I deny because honestly, Allah did not me because if we are to judge by how I was during the entire process, I would have made a pass or maybe not scaled through. The midnight of corporate law, my head was blank and I didn’t know anything.
LawPedia: How did you celebrate this huge achievement?
Zaenab Adams: Doing what I love to do privately which is giving Sadaqah. I didn’t organize any party which was surprising but I wasn’t just in the mood for it.
LawPedia: How did celebrating your Call to Bar compare to the feeling of finishing law school on a high note?
Zaenab Adams: It felt fulfilling and felt I did this shit against all odds stacked.
LawPedia: How did it feel to finally hold your wig and gown for the first time after all the hard work?
Zaenab Adams: Alhamdulilah.
LawPedia: What was the most joyful moment of your entire law school journey?
Zaenab Adams: The fact that I lived through Law School and Law school lived through me.
LawPedia: How did you celebrate the small victories along the way?
Zaenab Adams: Treating myself to food ni ooo and outings.
Part 6: Reflection, Triumph & Looking Forward
LawPedia: Now that you’ve had some time to reflect since being called to the Bar, what moment from your entire journey—from LASU to now—stands out as the most defining for you?
Zaenab Adams: They both had their challenging moments. The defining moment was when I finally heard “You may now wear your wig and gown”. Seeing me wear it with my mates who we started from 100level in 2018 together was very fulfilling because right from LASU, the challenges had been on and I wouldn’t want to dive into that now but those who know the story know it.
LawPedia: What was the first sign that your new study methods were actually working?
Zaenab Adams: No sign oooo. If there was, I wouldn’t have been changing . It felt like nothing was working but look at me now. It’s obvious they all actually worked.
LawPedia: Can you describe the moment you realized you were not just going to pass, but you could actually excel?
Zaenab Adams: There was no moment. Feels so weird to say this but there wasn’t. I can’t use words to describe what I went through mentally and emotionally in NLS
LawPedia: What did it feel like to prove to yourself that your past grades did not define your potential?
Zaenab Adams: Feels fulfilling. It’s a prove that I still have it in me and it was not just a childhood gift. Also that I CAN ALWAYS REWRITE MY STORY EXCELLENTLY.
LawPedia: did it feel to be a living example of the quote, “Your comeback is always stronger than your setback”?
Zaenab Adams: Feels great and awesome.
LawPedia: What is the one thing you learned about yourself during this journey that surprised you the most?
Zaenab Adams: That I can manage my emotions excellently. No1 in law school knew anything. I had colleagues from LASU who were always talking about my ex and even talking people out with “Don’t let Yetty deceive you oo, someone that would get married once we are done here. I dont even know why **** has not put a ring on it”. Funnily, most of them don’t know him physically but they just know I have someone I’ve been dating since my 100level days. So you know how emotionally draining it can be hearing people talk about someone that has caused you the most pain you’ve ever experienced. What I experienced when I lost my mom is nothing compared to what I experienced in 2024. Discovering that I can manage my emotions perfectly and keep things away from everyone for over a year was also a revelation to me. I only told Bilal, Gidado and Aisha a day before we left PH (after bar finals). Every other person including my coursemates from LASU knew in April when I wrote about it after bar finals results was released.
LawPedia How has this journey changed your perspective on challenges and success?
Zaenab Adams: That challenges actually determines us by how we determine it. Challenges will always come but our attitude towards it is the determining factor.
LawPedia If you could relive one day from your law school experience, which would it be and why?
Zaenab Adams: The day bar finals started and I had to sit on the podium to write my exam facing everyone in the hall. I wrote my exams on the podium facing everyone and on the ground floor in front of the podium backing everyone. I would tell myself, don’t panic you’ve got this because this bar finals, you’ve smashed it.
LawPedia: How has the transition from being a “Law School Graduate” to a “Lawyer” been? What’s the biggest change so far?
Zaenab Adams: Cool. Getting addressed as a lawyer and accorded respect is sweet sha. Then also handling the media of a top legal practitioner is fun. I’m still in awe of how my first step into Nigerian Bar Association is getting involved with the NBA politics and being a pivotal part of a movement that will make an audacious & renowned mark in Nigerian Bar Association.
LawPedia: What kind of law are you leaning towards practicing, and why?
Zaenab Adams: I’m leaning towards Aviation law and oil&gas. I love aviation and I have a passion for it. For Oil & Gas, I have a dream to achieve. I’ll add property law because of my real estate forte so for now, people attach me to property law.
LawPedia: How are you applying the lessons of resilience from your student journey to your early career?
Zaenab Adams: Learning attentively and giving it my all.
LawPedia: Now that you’re a lawyer, what impact do you hope to make in the legal profession or your community?
Zaenab Adams: For community, I’ll love to empower people. For the legal profession, I’ll love to be a part of the voices that will change the remuneration of lawyers and make being a lawyer a prestige like it was in the early 2000s which was what ignited of my passion of becoming a lawyer. I’ve had the passion since I was age 9.
LawPedia: Do you have any interest in mentoring or coaching other law students following in your footsteps?
Zaenab Adams: Yes I do but rather, I don’t want them to follow my footsteps. Everyone’s journey is unique so what worked for me might not work for them.
LawPedia: What’s next for Zaenab Adams? Are you pursuing a Master’s degree (LL.M), going into litigation, corporate practice, or something else?
Zaenab Adams: I’m a multipotentialite so I’m quite struggling to make a decision at the moment. However, currently I’m still focused on building my real estate brand, Yettydlaw Properties and now, I’m a cybersecurity graduate. For now, I’m still on with my real estate brand until I can choose my foot and make a decision.
LawPedia: What does the word “success” mean to you now, compared to what it meant before law school?
Zaenab Adams: Success as always meant fulfillment to me and it has not changed
Part 7: Advice & Rapid Fire
LawPedia: For the student who is currently where you once were—feeling unsure because of their CGPA—what is your number one piece of advice?
Zaenab Adams: You can do it. Just give it your ALL.
LawPedia: If you could give your pre-law school self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Zaenab Adams: Prepared my mind for the downturn so it wouldn’t have affected me the way it did during and after NLS.
LawPedia: If you could give one piece of advice to someone who feels trapped by their past academic performance, what would it be?
Zaenab Adams: The past is in the past, you can’t change the past. Now, the pen is in your hands to change today and rewrite the future to your satisfaction. Don’t also forget God.
LawPedia: How did you turn your pain (from your CGPA) into your biggest motivation?
Zaenab Adams: I wanted to prove to myself that I was intelligent. From primary school till secondary school, I never got 3rd position. It was majorly first and 2nd on somedays. I was in JSS2 when I had the highest result from JSS1 to JSS3 cumulative. I remember how my teachers then in greenfield international school cleared out my promise card then . In Islamic school too, I was number 1 too. So I just had to prove to myself that I had not lost it.
LawPedia: What would you say to someone who is currently where you were and is afraid to even try because they think it’s too late for them?
Zaenab Adams: When you wake up is your morning. There is no latecomer in this race.
LawPedia: What advice would you give to someone who is currently waiting for their results and feeling anxious?
Zaenab Adams: I don’t have any because I honestly can’t relate .
LawPedia: What would you say to your younger self who just graduated from LASU with a 2.96?
Zaenab Adams: I told myself that the results wasn’t a reflection of my intelligence back then because I honestly don’t want to go into details of all that happened in LASU.
LawPedia: What was your go-to comfort food during bar finals prep?
Zaenab Adams: Food from Sofresh then I was also eating Yakubu’s noodles on evenings I was lazy to go to Sofresh.
LawPedia: What’s the first thing you bought/ did to treat yourself after being called?
Zaenab Adams: Went insane with perfume shopping. Spent almost 500k at once shopping perfume.
LawPedia: 3 words your friends would use to describe you during law school?
Zaenab Adams: I don’t know oo but maybe content creator.
LawPedia: Most memorable (or funniest) moment at law school?
Zaenab Adams: SRC week was memorable
LawPedia: If your law school experience was a song, what would it be?
Zaenab Adams: He has done so much for me, I cannot tell it all, narekelemo
LawPedia: Biggest pet peeve during study sessions?
Zaenab Adams: My mind wandering to the unfortunate incident
LawPedia: What’s one thing you won’t miss about being a student?
Zaenab Adams: I don’t think I have any
LawPedia: What was the best piece of gossip that went around campus during your time there?
Zaenab Adams: The boy that almost pushed his law school girlfriend down from the last floor of the classroom blocks and she still went on fighting people who were fighting for her-Extremely hilarious because bruhhh(the classroom blocks had 3/4 floors). 🙂