Skadden Arps Reviews

Pros

If your are a Attorney, this is a great place to work

Cons

If you want to work in HR, you may want to choose another company

Pros

Prestige, opportunities afterward, learning experience

Cons

24 hours on call, long hours, stress

Advice to Senior Management

Improve allocation of work

Pros

35 hour work week
22 days of vacation
Nice people

Cons

Administration/Management sucks in the Washington, DC office
Pay raises suck -- barely get cost of living

Advice to Senior Management

See cons list above

Pros

Smaller groups at the firm give meaningful assignments with the opportunity to learn and grow. Compensation is always top of market.

Cons

Some associates can get left behind if they do not associate themselves with a partner or senior associate. Larger groups at the firm may not previde meaningful work assignments to young associates.

Advice to Senior Management

work on taking an more active role in developing associates, especially for those in larger practice groups that may get left behind. Try to integrate offices outside of NY into the firm's culture.

Pros

No job is wonderful. Period. Generally I was a relatively happy employee with the same general qualms that you'd have anywhere. I was promoted multiple times, many with no pay and a poor execution plan. Over the course of a few years, few people really stayed and many left very recently. Overall it was a terrible experience. Learned a lot, met some great people, worked with some amazing people and those who were not so great. It was a decent jump off point and opened other doors professionally.

Cons

Management was not great however. Much of the same that you'd find in any larger company. Those who have no skills or desire to lead were often thrust into those situations. They definitely took advantage of those who were striving for promotions and tended to wear thin and out those willing employees. Would be lifers have even turned sour. A sad but true fact.
As with all new jobs... Buyer Beware. Do your research and ask the right questions for you!

Advice to Senior Management

At the end of the day, a proper thank you and pat on the back is much needed. We all understand the economy isn't in a wonderful spot, but appreciation, dedication and respect works in ALL directions. Promoting favorites shouldn't be quite a rampant as it is here.

Also, to the even higher ups, the little perks may have been expensive, but pulling them outright, will be even more so. You've lost some great talent in the last few years because it was obvious the hard work of those on the lower end of the food chain just didn't matter quite as much any more. You shoot yourself in the foot to lose such talented and knowledgeable employees like us.

Pros

The cafeteria, the time off, caliber of attorneys one works with

Cons

Bad support staff management all around.

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of your long-time supervisors.

Pros

The salary is competitive to other New York City law firms. The office and location of office are great, as well.

Cons

I was laid off, as were a lot of other associates. It is a very unstable work environment right now.

Advice to Senior Management

Supervisors should be more upfront with associates and not keep the associates in the dark about what is going on at the firm.

Pros

Smart, Hard Working people. Top Shelf Clients.

Cons

Law firm lifestyle is very tough.

Pros

The people are all very friendly and the work culture is very relaxed and chill. Everything is very well organized.

Cons

Every day is the same. Some people are a bit cocky and may not appreciate your opinions. But you do learn a lot.

Advice to Senior Management

I'm not sure.

Pros

The benefits are great and the work atmosphere is fine. There are lots of vacation days and only a 35-hour work week.

Cons

Some of the partners are jerks and the Human Resources Dept. is not really an advocate for the employee. Some partners are innappropriate.

Advice to Senior Management

I would ask that the management pay more attention to updating the technology and training the support staff so the work could be more evenly distributed.