Pros
I can only speak about my short-term experience working in the company's legal department. The benefits and salary are very competitive to above average. The company emphasizes a work/life balance. Managing attorney was very professional and refreshingly warm and friendly. She was always available to answer questions, was very supportive, and had a positive attitude. I honestly believe she genuinely cared about the employees.
Cons
The company's proprietary litigation software is a nightmare. Nationwide's horribly slow network makes file maintenance and case management almost impossible, especially since the caseload is enormous. IT tries to be helpful but can only do so much when the system is not modern enough to handle the internet traffic into Ohio (Nationwide's headquarters). It is also confusing, user-unfriendly, and complex interface. The department was grossly understaffed and if someone was out sick or on vacation, we were expected to work on that person's caseload as well. The target productivity expectations are completely unattainable. I received literally hundreds of emails a day. In my opinion, I wasn't able to spend an ample amount of time on projects to double check my work. Updating the software system to input the case status took almost as much time as the project itself! Supervisors required us to file Motions to Compel for late discovery from plaintiffs despite the fact our own discovery was also overdue at the time. Overtime was completely prohibited. Employees were closely watched to make sure nobody clocked in/out a minute earlier or later than one's set time schedule, including lunch. There was no litigation support to help with copies, mail, or typical runner's duties. Paralegals do not go to trial with their attorneys. When I walked in my first day of work my desk was piled high with files and papers, the status of which nobody knew. I wish I had left then and there. We were required to attend numerous weekly phone conferences consuming valuable time that could be spent on our caseloads. While management asked for feedback and encouraged questions, staff was under the belief that any input was futile, therefore, questions or comments were generally suppressed. The phone conferences amounted to cheerleading sessions that were repetitive, redundant, and a colossol waste of time for those of us working in the legal department. They discussed company profits, etc. that may have been important to very upper management, marketing, or sales, but certainly not the legal department employees. Consequently, these phone conferences were just another stumbling block in my efforts to reach unattainable goals.
