University of San Francisco School of Law graduate Kate Carrara is known in the Philadelphia area as the Cupcake Lady (not to be confused with fellow USF School of Law graduate Cupcake Brown). Carrara, the proprietress of Buttercream, earned her moniker by selling cupcakes from a converted mail truck that roams around the city, stopping at locations announced on social media sites. Last week, the Cupcake Lady made headlines when her truck was seized by authorities for operating without proper licenses. Happily, after paying a fine and receiving a temporary permit, she’s peddling her cupcakes once again.
This story, however, brings into focus an unusual trend that is sweeping the legal community—leaving the profession to sell cupcakes. A partial list includes no fewer than three New York Law School graduates: Lev Ekster of CupcakeStop, Mia Bauer of Crumbs Bake Shop, and David Arrick of Butch Bakery. All three do business in New York City, and CupcakeStop, like Buttercream, operates from a truck. In addition, two George Washington University Law School graduates sell cupcakes in the Washington, D.C., area: Sam Whitfield of Curbside Cupcakes and Warren Brown of CakeLove. Curbside Cupcakes is mobile. Alex Rein of Kelvin Natural Slush Co., a Northwestern University Law School graduate, breaks the mold by selling slush beverages in New York City from a van.
Local attorneys who are looking to leave the profession, whether to sell cupcakes or not, can find helpful resources at the Alameda County Law Library. Titles at the library include:
- George H. Cain, Turning Points: New Paths and Second Careers for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 1994) KF 297 C34
- George H. Cain, Turning Points: New Paths and Second Careers for Lawyers, Volume II (American Bar Association, 1994) KF 298 C34 2009
For those already operating roaming businesses (such as Oakland’s own Cupkates) who are interested in reviewing local zoning ordinances, the Law Library has the municipal codes for each of the incorporated cities in Alameda County.
And for those who just have a sweet tooth, Cupcakes Take the Cake is the “all cupcakes, all the time” blog.
The Advance Sheet 