A few years ago I realized that being a lawyer in Massachusetts was not the easiest job. As a lawyer, particularly in Massachusetts, there was constant pressure to compete for clients with the other lawyers, to always be on top of my game in elder law, estate planning, real estate, etc. (people seem to prefer to hire the smartest lawyer they can find) and making sure that my legal fees were paid. So essentially, clients came to me with their legal problems, I handled their cases over long periods of time as their lawyer, and to some degree chased the law firm's clients for legal fees. I needed a change. But what business could someone with nothing but years on years of school and training to help people with wills, trusts, probate, mortgages, purchase and sales agreements and estate taxes even imagine running as a moonlight operation? Ice Cream seemed to be the key to the kingdom. Unlike a law firm, an ice cream store had few obtacles to providing excellent service. Heck, at first glance it looked like this lawyer would only need some ice cream, a way to keep it cold and a smile. The ice cream shop, as opposed to running a Boston law firm, appeared to have three elements - people arriving with joyful anticipation; people paying cash for a short and satisfying relationship with my firm; and people leaving happy and returning as soon as tomorrow to do it all again. Compared to a law firm, this business had it all. Now here is how lawyers should not be in the ice cream business. LICC, Inc. might have been doomed from its name, Lawyers Ice Cream Company. I bought a cute little piece of real estate in Winchester (we are just outside Boston proper inside 128), made a deal with the world's most famous ice cream lawyer, Bobby Rook, lawyer/owner of Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream. Here's Bobby's story in his own words from the Emack & Bolio's website.
Boston 1975. Peace, love, rock 'n roll. The music was everywhere. Live rock 'n roll music was being played at clubs throughout the town and rock 'n rollers from all over the US were coming to Boston to be part of the hot music scene. The only problem was the Boston Blue Laws. Clubs closed at midnight. What a bummer! Just when you and the music were really happening everything came to a halt. Along come these hippie lawyers working pro bono for the homeless, for gay civil rights, for anti-war demonstrators and of course representing all these famous rock 'n rollers who were being signed by major record labels. The solution to the midnight munchie blues: rent a basement in the Coolidge Corner section of Brookline, MA / buy a commercial ice cream machine / invite your rock star friends to hang out after their gigs eating homemade ice cream with outrageous flavors (creatively inspired by the lawyers and the rock 'n rollers) / play acoustic (we had neighbors) music 'til the wee hours of the morning. The rock 'n rollers loved the ice cream and the vibe. The basement ice cream hangout needed a name. Two homeless gentlemen that the lawyers did pro bono work for asked that the ice cream shop be named after them. The name had good karma. Emack & Bolio’s. An ice cream legend was born.
So, I hired half a dozen 16 year olds to scoop ice cream. Like owning a boat, the day I opened for business was great - shiny new counters, banners, crowds, everything but the marching band. From there it was all down hill...... Most of the 16 year olds had complicated social calendars to meet that didn't involve keeping a work schedule. The ones that did show up mainly stole ice cream or money or both. Once school closed in town, everyone left, Winchester is a desolate little burg in the Summer - great for relaxing, hard for selling ice cream. Needless to say, I found out quickly that I am a far better probate, real estate, elder lawyer in Massachusetts than ice cream guy. I envy Bobby Rook - the Massachusetts lawyer that has the best of both worlds - ice cream and being a lawyer in Massachusetts. GosselinLaw.com >Bob Rook, founder of Emack & Bolio's with James Brown in 1977
Bob Rook, a music lawyer, started E&B as a place that musicians could go to after their gigs to mellow out and satisfy their munchies. Some of the groups that Bob has worked closely with are: Aerosmith, Boston, The Cars, U2, James Brown and Al Green
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