Vantaggi
Great database of automated precedents and resources to boost efficiency Some seniors and coworkers are extremely knowledgeable Flexible working (great for the legal industry, considered standard in other areas) Good social events Office in a nice central location Effort-based promotion Intelligent and inspired use of AI in drafting and document review
Svantaggi
Senior management: If you get paired with a Practice Leader or Senior Lawyer who you get along well with who supports you the way you need, you will go far. If you're not as lucky, expect to be talked down to, receive unhelpful and demoralising feedback, and feel isolated from the rest of the people in your practice area. If you're a favourite, they will be incredibly patient, nurturing, and supportive of you. If you are not, they will not hesitate to push you out of the company the second they feel that you are 'inefficient'. Whilst LV does expect you to take your own initiative in your work, a lot of seniors forget that they too were once new to their practice area, and do not seem to have any patience for 'underperformers'. Lack of support: LV is very fast-paced with a huge focus on efficiency. If you don't keep up or if they have to explain something to you more than once, expect to be left behind. Workplace bullying: From my experience and speaking to other lawyers and graduates, almost every team has a clique and a bullying problem. Be careful who you ask for help, as the workplace can be toxic to the point where some people are too scared to come into the office because others have been nasty to them, and complain about them in separate group chats. I have also frequently seen and heard of coworkers crying in the bathrooms after receiving harsh feedback from senior staff. Lack of HR presence: LV claims to have an open, supportive environment, however during my time they have failed to take allegations of harrassment seriously and don't do much to make their staff feel safe. Lawyers are instructed to tolerate any behaviour from clients, and to finish the work faster to get out of any uncomfortable situations. There is very little support from HR, no follow-up from senior management; to put it frankly, nobody seems to care about an issue unless it's directly tied to efficiency or how you can bring in more business for the company. LV claims to be 'different' from the traditional law firms, but at its core it's just another old firm dressed up in nicer packaging ('tech firm culture', 'innovation').