Pros
Opportunity for good insurance defense work experience working shoulder to shoulder with some very fine, learned attorneys. Acceptable starting salary. Free coffee (all you can drink). On a departmental team basis, the work is enriching and collaborative. Responsibilities are myriad and self-directed generally.
Cons
Billing expectations for paralegals are rigorous and challenging, on par with associate attorney expectations. Outdated system of monitoring paralegals (and support staff) kills morale. Paralegals are considered professionals only to the extent that they garner billables for the firm. Paralegals are viewed as support staff rather than professional staff, which is a shock to the system. Most firms of this size and caliber do not micromanage their paralegals to the extent that Marshall Dennehey does. Ostensibly, paralegals are viewed as support staff (assistants, clerks, messengers, receptionists) and must follow administrative rules like signing in and out in front of the "floor manager," who is always watching to see if you stray from the floor. No breaks are allowed - not even to step out for some fresh air or to grab a snack from the in-building C-store - and to do so will earn you a talk with and warning from the floor manager (who is a secretarial staff member). Overtime is strongly discouraged. The internal management hierarchy seems to sweat the small stuff to the point of preoccupation, staunchly enforcing rules like leaving the office floor, or not taking your lunch during prescribed hours, or forgetting to sign in or out, etc. Over several months this becomes annoying and almost petty, and effectively obliterates any sense of well-being, ownership and enjoyment of what could be an otherwise enriching, satisfying work experience. If you have come from a law firm or corporate setting where as a paralegal you were given certain latitudes to conduct your day in your own way with the expectation that you are a professional, while maintaining your productivity and billables, you will be sadly disappointed in the complete opposite mindset at Marshall Dennehey.