THE NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL
VOL.21 NO.2
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1998
Attorneys at Law and Attorneys at Breakfast
AT SANTA MONICA, Calif.’s Legal Grind, attorney-owner Jeff Hughes serves justice to the people in an oversized ceramic mug. The “Justice Blend”--a coffee with the “body of a dark roast, and spicy cinnamon sparkle of a light roast”--is the most popular item on the menu. The most unusual, however, is another strange brew: “Coffee and Counsel” for $20.
When Legal Grind first opened in 1996, the then-free consultations Mr. Hughes offered customers helped distinguish his store from other coffeehouses in the neighborhood. But the young lawyer wanted to apply still more of his expertise from the legal bar to the java bar, so he fashioned Legal Grind into both a coffeehouse and--as of this past June--a licensed legal referral service.
Rather than merely referring people to law offices specializing in an appropriate field, Legal Grind actually arranges for them to meet attorneys over coffee at its “neutral and non-intimidating” location. The customer pays Mr. Hughes a $20 fee for “Coffee and Counsel”—that is, a cup of coffee and a brief preliminary consultation. The visiting lawyer, who makes money only if retained, pays Mr. Hughes a “membership fee” and any applicable commission.
“I want to change the perception of the legal industry by providing personal, up-front access to lawyers with affordable prices,” said Mr. Hughes. “I want to make it easier for people to find out what their rights are.”
Mr. Hughes mused about expanding nationally: “You know, Lloyds of London started as a coffeehouse. Same with the New York Stock Exchange…I could do a nonprofit, or I could easily do a national law office, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
For now, he said proudly, “I cater to everyday people, the middle class.” His typical customer seeking legal advice wants to resolve a personal injury, labor or landlord-tenant dispute.
Mr. Hughes worked at restaurants and juice bars while attending high school in Orange County and college at UCLA. After graduating from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1992, he entered what he calls a tough job market. “I was hired by a law firm that laid me off before I even started,” he recalled. He contemplated pursuing a teaching degree, but he decided instead to “blend” his interests in education, food services and law. “I don’t want to take the gravity from the law,” he maintained. “The Legal Grind is no joke.”
