associate

legal secretary

paralegal

associate attorney

front desk agent

Goodwin Procter LLP

This law firm is maintaining the status quo established and ongoing In the legal field.  They are headquartered on the East Coast where management is behind the times in terms of the current roles and responsibilities of secretaries on the West Coast. They insist that with these modern technologies secretaries should be able to support a minimum of 5 people.  Reporting over $1B in revenue, they cap staff raises at 2% with mediocre bonuses and benefits.  Overtime is largely prohibited and there is little to no advocacy for support staff.  They've outsourced all ancillary services so there is no pride of ownership in the tech, reception, or office services departments and the end result is a perpetual revolving door - high turnover, especially on the Associate and Paralegal levels.  Everyone is always looking for a way to get out.  Morale is always low. There are cliques, back biting and a darkness that hovers over every office, largely due to the issues at the home office that directly impact the entire structure from top to bottom.

Provide administrative and secretarial support for three Partners in the Life Sciences/Corporate Department. Duties included
typing of confidential, time-sensitive legal documents, letters and memoranda, daily entries of attorney’s diary time, monthly billing/invoices to clients; field questions from clients in connection with billing issues; assist in preparation, distribution and finalization of audit letters; maintain calendar and coordinate in-house and off-site meetings for attorneys and clients; responsible for new client/matter openings; client conflict checks and maintaining client files; scheduling and coordinating travel arrangements on behalf of Partners and Associates; mentor junior associates;
responsible for remaining in constant contact with attorneys and clients, answering and screening all telephone calls.

I currently work at a law firm and the culture at the particular office I work in is overall very encouraging. For example, a number of attorneys I work with involve me in the litigation or case process as much as possible. A typical day usually involves data entry, document management, Food and Drug Administration research, and proofreading memoranda.

At times the work load is hectic, fast paced, and demanding, but I have managed to cope with and perform under pressure. I believe the attorneys I work with greatly appreciate this multi-tasking ability.

All my co-workers have a great sense of humor and everyone is extremely respectful to each other. It is a great office for interacting with individuals who are not only smart, professional, and extremely dedicated, but who also know how to create an enjoyable atmosphere for others.

Goodwin Procter was a wonderful place to work, great people, resources and the best tools for technology.  Good benefits and work environment with ongoing training and support.  I supported two partners, one counsel and one associate.  It was a busy desk on most days and the attorneys could be demanding but were appreciative of my work.  I learned many software programs and professional skills and I took advantage of the ongoing optional training that was available to me.  My co-workers were supportive for the most part and we all worked as a team.  The hardest part of the job was finding enough hours in the day.  The most enjoyable part was the new challenges that were presented to me and working with clients, both internal and external.

As Payroll Administrator, I provide backup to the payroll department in processing the monthly exempt and bi-weekly non-exempt staff using Ultipro and Krononos time management systems. It is a huge challenge to make sure that all the bi-weekly timecards are completed accurately and approved on time. In addition to assisting employees with payroll questions, my job requires me to work closely with Human Resources, Benefits, Finance and many other departments throughout the firm. 

The best part of my job is working with the knowledgeable and impressionable payroll staff.  I could not do my job effectively without the help of my wonderful co-workers in Payroll.  Walking in the hallways and interacting with employees from other departments is also very pleasant. It's like a home away from home.

What is the best part of working at the company?
End of day when it was time to go home .

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Working with the associate I was assigned to. .the associate would come in late everyday.. didn't start working until 3 pm.  Would hand me work at 4 pm and expected me to stay overtime to visit.  He figured he worked late so I should too.  He complained to my supervisor that I did not want to do OT. I explained that why should I work late every night because he decides to come in late every day.  I heard from a coworker he did the same thing to his previous assistant and got her fired.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Ok nothing special 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stressful

this position consist of a constant multitasking ability and also 
communication at all times. receive all phone calls, keep track of all faxes/emails direct and respond in a timely fashion for all 700 employees in the firm. Delegated the majority of work amongst co-worker. Working under management requires much punctuality 
and things being done in a timely fashion. the hardest part of the was doing court runs and coming back then keep flow and understanding of the front desk once return. i enjoyed the responsibility in general 
there was learning in the mist of it all. and i learned the importance of  punctuality.

Goodwin Procter is not where I spent the majority of my "big law" career to date, but joined for a period of about two years with a partner with whom I worked for about six years at my prior law firm, K&L Gates LLP.  Goodwin is an outstanding law firm, with incredibly talented lawyers and an impressive, committed client base. The firm has a business unit structure that is relatively new and it did not wind up being the right "fit" for my more general corporate background, but I have nothing but praise for the firm - everyone with whom I worked from mid-years to partners were amazingly capable lawyers.

Great company to work for, overall.  I think HR has a tough job, but they could use a lot of re-training.  HR tends to focus on "certain" individuals instead of looking at the whole picture.  I got a tremendous amount of work done daily with little thanks.  I learned a lot of useful things from IT.  My team colleagues were great people to work with.

I had a wonderful time INTERNING at Goodwin but I know that a lot of attorneys and whatnot were really struggling. I was employed here for a year and made so many wonderful connections. Everyone says this about every job but the reason Goodwin is so great is the people. I'm currently employed elsewhere and it's just not the same. The Goodwin community genuinely has such amazing, encouraging, and great people both on the legal and professional side. Miss my days there despite some issues at the upper management level but that's corporate America. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Associate 6 salaries reported	$236,667 per year
Legal secretary 3 salaries reported	$93,333 per year
Paralegal 3 salaries reported	$82,167 per year
Associate attorney 3 salaries reported	$253,333 per year
Front desk agent 1 salary reported	$11.50 per hour

Working at Goodwin Procter LLP: Company Overview and Reviews

Goodwin Procter LLP

Goodwin Procter LLP Ratings

Popular jobs at Goodwin Procter LLP

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected