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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

CONTEMPT DISPUTE - A Washington federal trial judge has scheduled a hearing today to weigh whether to hold in civil contempt a Russian company charged in the special counsel's investigation, as prosecutors and the defense team at Reed Smith quarrel over whether the indicted entity has complied with trial subpoenas. Prosecutors have accused Reed Smith's client, Concord Management and Consulting, with participating in a scheme to sow discord in the 2016 presidential election. Litigation in the Russian company's case has been marked by disputes over evidence for months. The trial is scheduled to begin in April before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich.

FIRM FEEDERS - Which law schools are most popular with Big Law when it comes to hiring new associates? This week Law.com is rolling out its annual Go-To Law Schools ranking, which lists the top 50 schools according to the percentage of 2019 graduates who snagged associate jobs at the nation's largest 100 firms. Today, we're counting down numbers 41-50 on the list in a special sneak preview. We've got a few newcomers this year, plus a strong showing from campuses in the Midwest. 

TEMP WORK – Secondment arrangements where lawyers from law firms or ALSPs work temporarily in their client's in-house legal department are growing in popularity. Phillip Bantz and Patrick Smith report there are various benefits to such engagements. For clients, it's a quick way to scale up to meet the demands of a large project or regulation, and it's usually less costly than hiring external legal service providers. For law firms and ALSPs, it's an opportunity to strengthen existing client relationships and offer current and prospective employees a broader learning experience.  Still, such arrangements can put stress on a law firm's revenues, and in rare cases, lead to lawyers jumping ship. 

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EDITOR'S PICKS

Once Optimistic, Addicted in the End: What We Can Learn from One Partner's Demise

Coronavirus, Election Jitters Have Law Firm Leaders Pondering a Downturn

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

SELF-QUARANTINE - While some firms are closing their European and Asian offices because of the coronavirus, Linklaters is looking to preempt any problems by getting ahead of the outbreak. Simon Lock reports that the firm has imposed a 14-day work-from-home restriction on staff returning from northern Italy and mainland China, though not from Hong Kong. The firm is also encouraging  its staff in Milan to work remotely. 

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WHAT YOU SAID

"There are so many times you say something, and as you're saying it, you wish you could grab those words and bring them back. But you can't."

|— Ronald Dresnick, partner at Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, and former Miami-Dade Circuit Judge discussing the times he's lost his temper on the bench. Dresnick said he's seen attorneys goad judges into losing their temper in a bid to get them recused. 

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