Pros
Really have to dig deep for this one. Outside of having a paycheck, there really is nothing. Unless you find shoddy billing practices a pro.
Cons
This place is the worst professional experience I have ever had, even worse than the telemarketing job I had in high school. I was an associate with this clown firm for about an year. From my very first day, I realized I had just walked into the gates of hell. I was warned before taking this position by a friend who had just recently darted out of there. He warned me of all the torture he put up with at Swartz Campbell. I didn't buy it and accepted the position. Soon enough, I realized everything he had said was spot on. The culture here is best described as all stick, no carrot. They demand 2,000 billable hours per year. Even if you exceed that requirement, you get nothing more than a quick pat on the back. Don't expect an extravagant bonus or any accolade. If you don't meet it, expect LOTS of retribution. The partners will shun you and refuse to talk to you. You will not be allowed to take time off for any reason, including weddings (even your own) and funerals. And as counter intuitive as it is, you will get less duties, perpetuating the cycle further. The management is filled with people who fail to remember they are partners are a bottom tier insurance defense firm in a secondary market. They walk around and talk down at you as if they just solved the world's hunger problem. Even the hardest working associates get verbally abused in highly derogatory ways. Virtually none of the partners have even a shred of leadership ability. They must all run farms on the side because they think the only way to get associates to be effective is to prod them repeatedly like one would with cattle. Considering all of this, it will come as no surprise that this firm is a revolving door. In just the past few months, 3 partners and a number of associates have darted out of that clown factory, most with little or no notice. This is not a professional firm. You will not grow here and you will not learn anything useful unless shoddy billing practices and poor leadership are on your list. In fact, working here has put me back in my career. Most other area firms do not want to recruit laterals from a firm like this. Also, given my low salary, I couldn't demand much of a salary from other places. When asked what I have accomplished while at Swartz Campbell, I was drawing blanks. I can not come up with even one associate who has even a slightly a positive view of this firm. Even in the most dire of circumstances, I cannot imagine a good reason to work at Swartz Campbell.