legal assistant

office administrator

Goodmans LLP

For me, a typical day on the job consists of many different things. Being in a "after hours support" role, I am split between a few different departments that include, Office Services, Hospitality, Audio Visual and occasionally Premises. Coming from Niagara Falls originally it's safe to say that my prior work experience was predominately in Hospitality. Which was one of the things that Goodmans was looking for when they created this role. Since joining Goodmans with only a Hospitality background, I have learned many different skills including the scanning, faxing and photocopying of documents, technology (laptop, projector and conference call setups). I've also become familiar with Word, Adobe, Excel and other programs. 

I'd say my experience with management has been pretty great. The coordinators that I've worked under understand that I'm spread all over the place during my shift and allow me to work without trying to micro manage too much. Due to the fact that I work the after hours shift, I rarely see my supervisors or directors however, they are always easy to reach if need be and have shown that they are more than willing to help me or hear me out if I want to voice any concerns.

But the best part of my experience with Goodmans by far has been the people I work for and with. Upon starting here I was immediately struck by the culture of the firm. Almost everyone you meet are nice, genuine people who you will quickly know on a first name basis. Everyone for the most part is very easy to approach.  I had read about this prior to my start date but didn't know what to expect. Many companies boast about this but this firm lives up to it completely. The most enjoyable part of my job is the social interactions that I have with great people on a day to day basis at Goodmans. 

Yeah, That about sums it up.

In the interviews they tell you your role can be hybrid and that you are only required to work 3 days at the office. Then, as soon as you start working for the firm they say: you can’t work from home, you need to be at the office everyday at least for 6 months, when this was never mentioned by no one in the hiring process or agreed by the employee. 

Additionally, you would expect that if they tell you the position is hybrid they would provide you with at least a laptop to work from home, but no, if you want to eventually work from home (after the 6 months) you will have to use your OWN personal computer. 

It even seems that they hide this important details for the person they are hiring so they accept their offer and as soon as you accept it, they mention all these.




When I started here years ago, Goodmans was THE place to work.  The atmosphere was welcoming, everyone loved their job and people rarely left.  But over the past 5 years, things have changed.  The salaries have not kept up with the general pace and as a result, people are leaving to work elsewhere.  HR is a nightmare to work with.  There's a superior tone now that was never there before.  It's "Us v. Them" instead of a team feeling.  When you can't get a resolution from HR, where to do go?  Elsewhere.  That is what I've done.

Typical day at work would be checking emails, checking lawyer's in/outbox, and docketing.

I learned how to manage my day with a fast-paced lawyer and law clerk.

I loved the people I worked with, the other assistants are all helpful and it is more like a family atmosphere where everyone is very approachable and always ready to help someone in need.

Hardest part of the job is dealing with a difficult boss and learning how to get past certain things to make the relationship work.

The firm provides a comfortable and productive environment for work, and allows me to learn many skills such as SQL database, Budgeting and Forecasting, Financial Reporting & Analysis, Presenting to Management, etc. 

The co-workers are very nice and easy going, but age gap creates some communication issues.

Working at Goodman’s was a wonderful experience and I regretted leaving on my very first day of my new job. I’d go back in a heartbeat. They had a wonderful community presence and provided so much to their employees.

I would not recommend this law firm.  The upper management is competent to say the least.  The firm comes first with little to no flexibility for and suitable work/life balance.  There are good firms out there, and this is not one of them.

The workplace culture is amazing. Great people with lots of fun events hosted. Advancement and learning is capped in the accounting department. Management practices and initiatives are very different depending on department and supvervisor.

Fantastic company to work for.  Starting out my career as a Human Resources professional couldn't have been a better experience.  Always challenging and something new to learn.  Supervisors and Management were always there to support.

Professional environment with client requests that change your priorities regularly. A very high level of user service is required (white glove). Very little red tape and decisions are made quickly.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Legal assistant 1 salary reported	$58,048 per year
Office administrator 1 salary reported	$44,000 per year

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