Pros

Everyone is very respectful of one another. Management certainly values there employees and deals with them in an ethical manner. For example, while many law firms recently had layoffs, few of them provided compensation packages to those laid off. Sidley did and generously. Also, they began adjusting their finances to minimize layoffs which I admire. In that respect as well as many others, it is a very stable and pleasant work environment. Additionally, Sidley provides certain other benefits, such as full reimbursement for the completion of the full weight-watchers course at the firm and free flu shots in the fall, that promotes the wellness of the employees. They also offer on-site, discounted LSAT classes if there is enough interest to fill a class. Finally, Sidley has an excellent reputation within the legal and business world that impresses people who know either industry. In New York especially, I have found that how well a person is aware of Sidley's presence in the financial and legal industries directly correlates to their knowledge of and success within those sectors. The converse of that is those same people respect opinions of persons who have worked for Sidley because of its global financial services reputation.

Cons

As a legal assistant at Sidley, I feel that there has been no room for advancement with the company. I have even applied for jobs within the company and have been rebuffed from taking on extra responsibilities.

Advice to Senior Management

While I understand that the absence of a JD immediately excludes me from certain types of opportunities at a law firm, it should not exclude me from jobs within marketing, recruiting, and management. Almost all of the knowledge needed for any position at Sidley is taught within the individual departments and knowledge of Sidley's internal structure is well-apparent after working there. I love Sidley as a company and would have liked to continue working there but, as an ambitious and intellegent person, like all of its hires, I need challenges and career growth which Sidley does not offer internally. Also, 401(k) matching would be nice.