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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

DUG IN – Even as the geopolitical environment remains unsettled in Russia, with the U.S. imposing additional sanctions in August, international law firms are finding ways to hang on in the country. Dan Packel reports that while most lawyers with work there aren't as bold as ex-Akin lawyers GumpIlya Rybalkin and Suren Gortsunyan, who launched their own practice last September, no international firms have exited Russia since Orrick left in early 2018. But it hasn't been easy.

NO THANKS – Many millennials are taking a hard pass on voluntary bar associations, as membership numbers reflect. But why? Susan DeSantis reports on the reasons for the decline in popularity among the younger generation, from "too boring" to "too expensive" to "too busy," as New York lawyers tell her.

THE 'F' WORD – As part of our Minds Over Matters project, we're exploring the issue of failure. A difficult part of life for anyone, failure can be particularly hard for high-achieving lawyer types—whether it involves losing clients, bungling cases or mishandling personal relationships. Law.com columnist Jay Harrington, a former Skadden associate and now a lawyer trainer, explores how to accept failure and learn from it.

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EDITOR'S PICKS

What's Up with Andrew Yang and the Asian Stereotype?

Florida Coastal Says Student Loan Problems Are Resolved

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

DOWNSIZING – As Baker McKenzie continues to review its back-office functions, it has cut another six positions, following an earlier round of layoffs this summer. Rose Walker reports that a total of 97 positions were initially identified as at-risk and placed under review by the firm, with 18 people now having resigned in total as a result. In all, 21 layoffs have now been made, while another 33 positions have been scrapped, with the people in those positions moving to different roles at the firm.

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WHAT YOU SAID

"We very much regret that this incident occurred and can assure the court that it will not happen again."

—  JAMES WOOLEY, PARTNER AT JONES DAY, IN A COURT FILING APOLOGIZING FOR EXPOSING SECRET GRAND JURY INFORMATION, AN ERROR THE FIRM ATTRIBUTED TO A FAILURE BY ITS LEGAL TEAM HANDLING THE DEFENSE IN AN OPIOID CASE TO USE CERTAIN SOFTWARE IN THE REDACTION PROCESS.

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