We have stories about overly literal devils and genies obeying exact wordings instead of the obvious intents of their agreements. And stories where lawyers win

We have stories about overly literal devils and genies obeying exact wordings instead of the obvious intents of their agreements. And stories where lawyers win their cases at the last minute because they found an obscure loophole, despite everyone else being against them. Laws actually come from state power, social contracts, and human interpretation, but the idea that they're actually a separate magical thing that everyone - even governments and devils - has to obey, is common in our culture. That sort of story is often about contract law (the devil ones especially) so the freemen focus on that. And "social contract" has contract in the name, which gives the laws-are-magic-spells thinking a fertile place to start out . The rest follows from wishful thinking that knowing the law is made of magic spells will work out in your favor.