Paralegal - Anonymous employee Chamblee Ryan Employee Review

A TRUE TRIAL FIRM: This firm is known for its trial attorneys, meaning there are plenty of interesting cases to go around, and they are expected to be worked up for trial, not just for settlement. If feeling like your work matters, then this is a place for you. LOTS OF MENTORSHIP: If you invest in the firm, the firm will invest in you. All of the partners are available for consult and advisement and there are also a lot of senior attorneys who can help junior folks gain confidence and tools to truly learn how to be an attorney. If you take the time to build a rapport with the attorneys there are a lots of senior attorneys who you can go to for advice from motion practice to considerations for working with clients or opposing counsel. Also, they really take into consideration where you are in your lawyer education when assigning cases. Prior to coming here, I had only done deposition outlines, the firm kept this in mind and allowed me to sit in on other attorney depos, then participate in minor depos, before having me take depos. A FRIENDLY WORK ENVIRONMENT: The people here are truly kind and thoughtful human beings. Litigation is stressful, so working if working with kind people is a "must" then this is a fantastic place to work. I have experience in bigger organizations, and I can tell you, that it's always about the people. You can come into our office and tell that people actually enjoy being here, and I think that is so important.

There are growing pains as the case management system just got updated, and there are a lot of junior staff that you'll have to take into consideration when you are working up your cases. However, no one here is lazy, if you take the time to explain what you need the staff rises to the occasion to help you get it done. Uniformity: Because some of the staff is so green it is difficult to find uniformity in case files, so there is some effort that has to be done from the attorney side to compensate and bring cases up to standard.

If you negotiate the pay is decent

Some of the partners treat their teams like lower caste. There is no structure here. No team mentality and bad leadership. No firm gatherings or a sense of direction. There is no captain here. HR spends most their time gossiping about staff with their friends and saying hurtful things about them. Their reasoning for firing people and promoting people seems like it's based off how much they like you. The turnover here is the highest ive ever seen in my professional career. Every month at least 2 people quit of getting fired. The time expectations are ridiculous and the caseload is unsustainable. Partners handling 30 or more cases with just 1 paralegal and a dwindling number of secretaries. Bill is constantly yelling and screaming at people and they dont manage or oversea young associates like they should.