Has anyone heard anything on Staff Counsel offices downsizing?
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So much turnover that Allstate is not even keeping up the staff counsel office websites. In one office, an attorney sadly died months ago, and the website still has the attorney's photo, email and phone number.
staff counsel is constantly quitting this train wreck, that's why there are so many openings
No need for layoffs in Houston SCO. 16 lawyers quit on their own accord in 2021. Any hiring we’ve done in the last year is a poor tourniquet for the terminal bleeding we’ve been experiencing.
There is hiring and downsizing (not replacing employees) happening right now. Hiring in growth markets like GA, FL, TX, but also not hiring and/or replacing employees that leave smaller markets (I believe LA was one of several states that had employees leave that weren't replaced). Rumor is that some SMC's made calls this week to encourage support staff to apply for other open positions in SCO's across the country.
Ricky's idea is to hire law school interns and then make them attorneys as soon as they're licensed. Also there is a new referral bonus being offered for attorneys, so I think that shows things are getting desperate. Referrals should happen organically because people are proud of where they work and they want to bring in friends and colleagues.
All that being said, it doesn't really seem like there is any plan to address the reasons we're experiencing such terrible turnover, which is workload and pay. Until those issues are addressed, the chaos will continue. And the minute we become more trouble and cost more than retained counsel, expect staff counsel to shut down.
Staff counsel is hiring. Lots of positions open.