Pros
HR is flexible and tries to accommodate support staff requests. Non-litigation secretaries are generally pleasant. Office services are responsive and most of them are pleasant.
Cons
Every single staffing company I've spoken with has admitted that the Venable office in Century City, CA has a difficult environment and not everyone fits. Management openly admits that the environment is "unique" and not everyone fits. That must be true since they cannnot keep support staff - Venable has often fired staff or not renewed temp assigments, and often posts job openings. The litigation section is an extremely hostile and unfriendly environment. Secretaries are hostile and unfriendly to temps and constantly complain about each other to HR. Secretaries unfairly complain about the office services staff, who are excellent. Venable has an extraordinarily high percentage of secretaries whose prime purpose in life seems to whine and make trouble for other people. Excellence is not recognized, since both HR and secretaries complain about secretaries who have poor litigation skills. HR ignores secretaries who spend most of the day gossiping and "visiting" so pressure is put on other secretaries to do multiple same-day filings for 6 or 7 attorneys, since their own secretaries simply refuse to do the filings, saying they are "too busy" and then spend their time gossiping with other secretaries while the other secretaries are doing their work. Some long-time secretaries and other support staff secretly admit to the dysfunctional environment, but they are afraid to lose their jobs, so people only talk in whispers. Litigation attorneys and litigation secretaries walk around openly cussing in the hallways and partners stand around in the hallways at their secretaries' desks asking what color underwear their secretaries are wearing. Venable seems to enjoy having this type of environment, since the Century City office has had this reputation for decades.