Is Sidley Austin a good company to work for?

Sidley Austin has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 770 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months. 67% of employees would recommend working at Sidley Austin to a friend and 69% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Sidley Austin have been left by employees working as Partner , Paralegal and Associate .

Does Sidley Austin pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Sidley Austin employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Sidley Austin. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Sidley Austin?

67% of Sidley Austin employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Sidley Austin 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Sidley Austin?

Associate (111) , Legal Secretary (31) , Project Assistant (31) , Partner (26) , Legal Assistant (21) , Paralegal (19) , Attorney (9) , Associate Attorney (8) , Intern (8) , Lawyer (7) , Summer Associate (7) , Billing Specialist (6) , Managing Associate (6) , Administrative Assistant (5) , IT Intern (5)

What are the pros of working at Sidley Austin according to real employee reviews?

"The people are great and are very helpful to each other." ((in 82 reviews)); "Great benefits and transit reimbursement" ((in 61 reviews)); "Good Pay (still offers Christmas bonuses and Vacation buy" ((in 36 reviews)); "Great perks and competitive salaries." ((in 24 reviews)); "Nice people, colleagues, however you’re kept so overworked that you barely have time to talk to anyone" ((in 24 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Sidley Austin according to real employee reviews?

"Very bureaucratic and long hours" ((in 51 reviews)); "Management in the billing department is horrible." ((in 21 reviews)); "Many long hours at the office" ((in 11 reviews)); "Depending on your direct manager, it can be a supportive environment with great resources." ((in 7 reviews)); "The office politics in laughably pathetic and petty" ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about Sidley Austin layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Sidley Austin layoffs and their outlook for job security at Sidley Austin in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Sidley Austin locations?

Chicago , New York , Dallas , Washington , Los Angeles , Houston , San Francisco , Palo Alto , Miami , Boston , Joliet , Texas City , Pacifica , Combine , Century City , Chicago , Dallas-Fort Worth

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Sidley Austin

Sidley Austin reviews

4.1

67% would recommend to a friend

(687 total reviews)

Brian Fahrney | Yvette Ostolaza

68% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Compensation and benefits

3.9

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Culture & values

3.8

Career opportunities

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.6

Senior management

Sidley Austin has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 687 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Sidley Austin employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Legal industry (3.8 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

687 reviews

3.0

May 13, 2026

Low pay and poor leadership

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Upward mobility, stability, prestige, good health care

Cons

Staff underpaid and overworked. The new Data & AI dept is a hot mess and has high turnover due to bad leadership (all from outside legal who don't understand the industry and don't care). Pay is way below market rate - left for a 30% pay increase and a colleague got even more, which is embarrasing for such a highly ranked firm. Culture has changed drastically and for the worse.

4.0

May 4, 2026

Nice office and benefits, but expect long hours

Managing associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice office, good benefits including childcare and elder care

Cons

Hours are long - although not unexpected of typical US firm

5.0

Apr 15, 2026

Nice place to work

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

People are nice compared to what I hear elsewhere.

Cons

The work is just long hours but no different from any other BigLaw firm

Viewing 7 - 9 of 687 Reviews

Jobs at Sidley Austin

Administrative Assistant

Office Services Coordinator

Administrative Assistant