Pros
Great brand name. Colleagues are generally friendly and collaborative. You have the opportunity to work with the best bankers in the industry.
Cons
Legal treated as a cost centre. Expect to pay for your ticket to the Legal Christmas Party. Limited career progression at VP and above in Legal. Those who get promoted tend to be the political players who management favour. Legal take a limited view on wider types of career progression. Limited budget/support available for further education. Limited flexibility regarding work from home/part time work arrangements. You are not allowed to work from abroad even for a short period of time. You are not allowed to work out of foreign JPM offices even for just a day or two. Compensation is below market. J.P. Morgan underpay compared to competitors. If you are not happy with your pay, JPM assumes you will leave and they will just hire someone else. Don’t expect to be able to negotiate your salary after you accept the job offer. Emphasis on members of the legal department participating in ‘forums’ and departmental committees, and taking on extra work in other departments (leaps), but the extra work is not acknowledged with an uplift in bonus/career progression opportunities.