Groom Law Group, Chartered

Our Survey Says

VAULT'S VERDICT:

Groom boasts a welcoming, friendly culture—lawyers respect each other, from the top down. There isn’t pressure to socialize after hours, but there are some firm-sponsored events. Partners and associates have strong relationships. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of work, and hours can sometimes be heavy, but associates appreciate the flexibility afforded them. Associates also complete a monthly workload survey to monitor hours. Overall, associates are satisfied with their compensation, which includes an hours-based bonus. There is room for improvement when it comes to training—though associates have noticed steps in the right direction with both the formal training and mentoring programs at the firm. Associates give the firm high marks for its diversity efforts. As one associate shares, “The firm has a diversity committee and is actively engaged in programs supporting diversity in the legal profession, and looks for diverse job candidates.”

ASSOCIATE REVIEWS:

The below associate quotes are derived from Vault's Annual Associate survey, which took place from late January 2020 to early April 2020.

ASSOCIATE LIFE

Firm Culture and Associate/Partner Relations

• “My colleagues at Groom are approachable, friendly, and willing to listen and lend advice. The type of law we practice—employee benefits—is interesting and important. The quality of life is good, with attorneys rarely staying past 7 p.m.”
• “The lawyers are sociable but do not socialize very much. The working environment is welcoming and supportive, but when the day is done, everyone chooses to go their own ways.”
• “Everyone is very respectful of each other from top to bottom, partner to staff. …”
• “Partners as a whole value the associates, and the relationships between individual partners and associates are excellent. I have not witnessed or experienced any ‘bad’ treatment. All attorneys are given a presentation at year-end about the financial state of the firm—associates/of counsel and partners receive different presentations. The firm established a more structured partnership track that has been shared with associates. Performance reviews are done by our own selection based on projects worked on throughout the year, but reviews themselves are with two partners. If a partner has negative comments, we do not know which one gave the feedback.”

Hours

• “I am given about the right amount [of work] in aggregate, and have substantial flexibility in when and where I complete my work.”
• “The workload can be very heavy at times, but we are encouraged to share that through a monthly survey about hours and workload. …”
• “1,900 billable-hours required. 100 pro bono hours count.”