associate

project assistant

legal secretary

analyst

paralegal

Sidley Austin

When I get to work I start off by checking my e-mails followed by making sure that the personal WiFi hot-spots are in inventory.
I'm constantly wiping and imaging laptops and desktops for Sidley.
I've learned many things while being involved with Sidley. I learned that proper cable management is a valuable skill in the IT world, Soft Skills in a professional work environment are seriously valuable, Everyone makes mistakes including managers, and in order to survive in the IT field, you must be up to date on all things current.

The interaction with my manager and co-workers here at Sidley are wonderful. If I'm having trouble with anything at all, there is no hesitation from my co-workers to help me.

The hardest part of my job is staying on top of multi-tasking.
Ex: There are new hires coming in and I have to set up a conference room for some attorneys while wiping a computer and keeping track of all the asset tags and IMACing them back into inventory consecutively.

The most enjoyable part of my job is simply networking. I love meeting new people and having the opportunity to hear some achievements from someone else. I'm very open to learning new things from people.

I was extremely proud to work at Sidley when I first started but as firm leadership changed, the culture that set Sidley apart from other big law firms suffered and I feel more and more disrespected everyday. I have consistently heard and seen that leadership blames the COVID-19 pandemic and remote work for all their problems but that certainly isn’t the issue. I noticed things going downhill after recent changes in staff leadership, and the executive and management committees. It seems like the firm wants to be more like other big firms and treat their staff like they don’t matter but other big firms pay their staff very well to make up for the typical poor big firm culture. I have seen examples where the firm refuses to pay what their peers pay and in many cases chooses to pay in the bottom of the market range that their experts identify while at the same time they use those same peer firms as their example when changing the firm's policies to the detriment of their staff. Sidley seems to want the best of both worlds and I suffered as staff. I was raised with a certain set of values and those no longer align with the values of the firm. I can’t say I’m proud to work here anymore.

A typical day involved coordinating with my excellent team of managers on delivering top-notch customer service.

I learned a great deal about team-building through careful staffing and continual enrichment training.  I was able to refine my managerial skills through the generous mentoring of the Firm's senior management.  I also had many excellent project management experiences, growing my ability to contribute to large-scale buildout and office move projects.

There was an exceptional commitment to mentoring by the management of the Firm, which was practiced at every level.  I received excellent mentoring and learned to provide it in turn to my own staff.

My peers and I formed a tight-knit "family", providing a network of both professional and social support.   

The hardest part of the job was dealing with tight deadlines dictated by client emergencies - the string of "all-nighters" that could not be adequately planned for in advance.

By far, the most enjoyable part of the job was the people, at every level.  Just as enjoyable was the appreciation my team and I received for our quality of service.

Most of the paralegals are awesome to work with. However, unless you set clear boundaries with associates and partners you can and will be worked around the clock. Often felt like a culture of emergencies where associates don’t communicate projects until the last minute and you are forced to do projects late at night on quick turn around. 

The paralegal manager initially promised raises, promotions and retro pay to a group of practice group assistants, then went back on the raises and retro pay five months after changing everyone’s titles. Completely inappropriate to toy with people’s livelihoods like that especially amidst a pandemic. The paralegal manager also gossips with your colleagues about your personal situation and compensation which was unprofessional. 

Over the past three years the firm has lost a lot of long time paralegal employees (at least seven that I’m aware of) due to the lack of support and low pay for the caliber of and commitment to work they expect. I would not recommend this job until they can find a manager that treats the staff with respect. 

A typical work day is coming in early, checking my email and voicemail for projects that needs to be handled before my assignments come into the office.  I then send out an email to everyone offering additional assistance with projects and start to prioritize my day to getting everything done.  Throughout the day, I give updates (via email or going into their offices) as to how the projects are coming along.  Each day is a learning experience as each person requires something differently daily and not all projects are the same.  Management is very fair.  Things are starting to get even better, which I think is due to change happening everywhere.  What I love now is that we are told the day before a holiday that we are able to leave early which helps with planning out your day.  The hardest part may be having to stop a project, to run and catch a train.  Unless I was asked to stick around.

A typical day at Sidley was very busy and demanding.  It would be answering requests from secretaries to answering requests to setup a conference room for a high level meeting with AV for a VTC between offices within the Firm to outside the Firm.  

I have learned over the years that providing IT support to law firm users was in ways the same as in other principles.  Except, some of the requests were tied to orders form the courts,which were time sensitive.  I learned to use the document management system, iManage, and was providing support to the users and to my team.

My most enjoyable part of my job was working with the users in the offices I was responsible for , LA, PA, SF, and SE.

My typical day at work consisted of daily contact with HR in receiving notifications of new employees and providing a training schedule based on qualifying position; conducting hands-on training to all staff and including lawyers in all our computer-based applications, blackberries, iphones and ipads; providing on-line support using PC Anywhere to proxy into other users computers and floor support, if needed; participating in trainers' conference calls and providing feedback to HR regarding training.  In addition, updated training materials to make specific for the DC office as well as write documentation, if needed.

Siley Austin is a lot the number one law firm in the world on a daily basis you will work with colleagues from all teams who are in need of technical support software training, etc. The workload depends on the day as it changes quite frequently the call volume is consistent must work well under pressure and deadlines, which is normal in corporate America. The culture of this company has a great work life balance it offers competitive pay paternity leave great insurance benefits. It’s located in the heart of downtown Chicago, which is always a plus you are surrounded with great restaurants near post office is walkable great access to public transport 

I am grateful for the opportunity that I had with Sidley Austin for the past 13 years.  I was able to grow professionally and enjoyed the work environment and the people that I worked with and for.  The most enjoyable part of my job was the wonderful people that I was able to work with and learn from on a daily basis.  A typical day at the office would include creating and editing documents, entering time and billing for the attorneys, schedule appointments and meetings, arrange travel, open new client business matters, stock and maintain supplies, volunteer for charitable events.

A firm with 2,000 lawyers in 20 worldwide cities. I worked for the Executive Director (until I retired) who managed every aspect of the firm. High stress, busy and rewarding. Very upscale firm with beautiful offices and wonderful staff. No two days were ever alike. Everything depended on what the boss needed to get done. I learned to be flexible and patient. The hardest part of the job was scheduling teleconferences with various team members on different continents and in different time zones. The most enjoyable part of the job was working with smart people who cared about work and the culture.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Associate 3 salaries reported	$231,667 per year
Project assistant 4 salaries reported	$57,375 per year
Legal secretary 3 salaries reported	$56,000 per year
Analyst 3 salaries reported	$88,333 per year
Paralegal 3 salaries reported	$96,000 per year

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