Too many supervisors not supervising. - Paralegal Mayer Brown Employee Review

2.0
24 Nov 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The starting pay for legal secretaries is very competitive, depending of course on experience. They offer some benefits that small firms cannot afford to offer.

Cons

As far as staff are concerned, there are way too many people that are used to doing things the way they were done 20 years ago. The attorneys are allowed to waste support staff's time on unnecessary assignments, just to seem busy. Many of the secretaries are unproductive. The attorneys who whine and moan the most get the best treatment. The supervisors are too busy being catty and gossiping to do something about the unproductive staff.

Explore other reviews about Mayer Brown

5.0
5 Oct 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

very good Team and people

Cons

a lot Of work (just to full this space)

1.0
28 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Beautiful office space and decent perks. Provides solid industry exposure and can be a useful stepping stone early in your career to gain experience before moving to a more sustainable work environment. The benefits are good too. Parental leave options (18-weeks) which is rare nowadays.

Cons

Extremely poor work-life balance and a culture that often prioritizes billable output over employee wellbeing. Leadership and management can feel disconnected from the realities of staff workloads and operational challenges. Systems and internal processes are noticeably outdated, creating unnecessary inefficiencies and compliance concerns. Training is inconsistent, and support varies significantly by team. There is also a very noticeable hierarchy between attorneys and support staff, with accountability standards that do not always feel equitable. Many paralegals and support employees are expected to absorb unreasonable workloads with limited recognition or institutional support, contributing to high burnout and turnover. It is frustrating to see a firm generate significant revenue while continuing to rely on outdated systems and understaffed support structures instead of investing meaningfully in operational infrastructure and employee retention. Many of the day-to-day challenges staff face feel preventable with better resource allocation and modernization.

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