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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

BONUS BACKLASH – Bonuses! Awesome, right? I mean, what's not to like? Well… As Big Law continues to do battle by rolling out special fall associate bonuses in hopes of retaining top-performing young attorneys after a trying six months, questions are arising about whether firms may be exacerbating the problems they're trying to solve by attempting to throw money at them. In this week's Trendspotter column, we look at how trying to keep up with the Joneses during a global pandemic could potentially go wrong, from overlooking associates' anxieties (or making them worse) to overextending firms' finances.

CULTURE CLASH – One of the major mistakes law firms can make in the battle for talent— whether they're doling out bonuses or not—is underestimating the importance of feedback and transparency when communicating with young lawyers. It's all part of that thing called "culture" that firms love to say they have. As Patrick Smith reports, culture starts with leadership and how those in charge articulate decisions to the rest of their firms.  "Leadership is about disappointing people," said Scott Westfahl, professor of practice and director of executive education at Harvard Law School. "That is the lens on it, and it is such a critical thing to understand. You are going to need to make changes as the world changes. The better you articulate who you are, why you are, the better you will be able to make principled decisions."

DRIVING UP RATES – Should policyholders have to shell out big bucks for accident protection when hardly anybody's on the road right now?  That question's at the heart of a class action against American Family Insurance Company that lawyers at Ice Miller on Friday removed to Illinois Northern District Court. The suit alleges that the insurer is charging policyholders "grossly excessive" premiums given the reduction in automobile traffic due to the pandemic. The suit, filed by Romanucci & Blandin and John Sheehan Spadaro, Stay up to date on major litigation nationwide with Law.com's Legal Radar.

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EDITOR'S PICKS

Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court Nominee, in Her Own Words By Marcia Coyle