Legal Aid Society Employee Job Reviews in the United States

"Legal Aid is a great organization to gain litigation experience"

"The company is a great starter environment, but the only opportunity for advancement or tuition assistance is if you are an Attorney. No room for growth or development for any of the other positions with the company."

"I have worked for this practice for 10 years. It is a good place to learn and grow."

"As a senior attorney in The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice, I have witnessed the office morale go from mediocre to abysmal. When you become a public defender, you should presume you’re going to struggle for a living wage; don’t act surprised that your salary isn’t great. You knew that when you signed up. I think, however, the insult lies in the fact that staff attorneys are treated horrifically not just by clients, judges, and prosecutors, but by their own colleagues and supervisors, neither of whom would flinch for one moment to throw them under the bus to save their own jobs. Management is scared to stand up to judges for some reason, yet demands that rank and file attorneys act righteously indignant to the point of risking contempt charges. Further, management is consistently rife with hypocrisy. Sexism is rampant. Legal Aid in New York City is still an Old Boys Club through and through. While their newly created Homicide Task Force is ambitious, it is surprising that some of the chosen attorneys are comprised of those who have frequently used inflammatory language in interoffice emails and/or face-to-face with fellow staff members. Most worrisome, though, is that at least one of the newly named Homicide Task Force attorneys previously engaged in misconduct with a subordinate when she was a legal intern, leading the intern to feel as if she needed to accept the position at Legal Aid when it was offered to her."

"This is not the place you should remain in long term. There is very little room for advancement and incentive to do so."

"Not a great place to volunteer."

What do you like about working at Legal Aid Society?

"I like helping low-income clients advocate for themselves. I love my co-workers - they are smart, compassionate, socially-minded. I like how I can manage my caseload without being micromanaged."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Show that you are compassionate about helping poor people and can convey that compassion when patience is tried."

What don't you like about working at Legal Aid Society?

"No room for growth unless I go to law school. Low salary."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"More emphasis on everyone carrying their weight. I would be a bigger disciplinarian."

"Below average"

What suggestions do you have for management?

"They need to have more clients to provide more assignments to their employees."