And if the list were longer… These 20 firms were close to making it on our annual A-List ranking. With some small changes to certain scores, we could see them there next year. Here are the 20 runners up to the A-List.

21. Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Moving up by 12 spots, Steptoe saw improvement in multiple categories. The firm had a 32-point jump in associate satisfaction to a score of 95, and a six-point rise in female equity partners. Still, its diversity score has room to improve (now 49).

22. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (tie). Gibson Dunn dropped off the A-List this year, tumbling 17 spots in the rankings, all the way from fifth. The firm's female equity partner score dropped from 46 to 0 because it did not provide data. Gibson Dunn performed best in associate satisfaction (99), and pro bono (97.5).

22. Irell & Manella (tie). A score of 91 in associate satisfaction (after a 0 last year for not completing the survey) helped Irell move up 19 spots to 22nd. The firm saw improvement in every category except pro bono, where it had a 22-point drop to a score of 77.

24. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (tie). Cleary Gottlieb moved up two places, with its largest improvement coming in its associate satisfaction score, which rose by 9.5 points. However, the firm did see a 7.5-point drop in RPL, giving it a score of 72.5 points.

24. Crowell & Moring (tie). Moving up by six spots to 24th, Crowell & Moring saw a 14.5-point improvement in associate satisfaction (now 83.5), and raised its diversity score to 76.5. Still, the firm has room to improve in multiple categories, such as female equity partners (now 68.5).

26. Buckley Sandler. Buckley Sandler jumped up 25 spots to place 26th, due to large improvements in RPL and female equity partners, and a score of 64 in associate satisfaction after not completing the survey last year. While the firm saw a four-point improvement in diversity, it still maintains a subpar score of 45.5.

27. Davis Polk & Wardwell. Despite small decreases in three categories, Davis Polk moved up five places in the overall rankings, primarily because of an eight-point increase in pro bono, and a five-point increase in the female equity partners category.

28. Fenwick & West. Fenwick dropped seven spots to place 28th this year. Even though the firm saw a 10.5-point increase in associate satisfaction, it also saw decreases in multiple categories, including a 10-point drop in female equity partners.

29. Hughes Hubbard & Reed. A 16.5-point improvement in its diversity score (now 80) was not enough to keep Hughes Hubbard from dropping 10 spots this year. The firm saw declining scores in RPL, associate satisfaction, pro bono and female equity partners.

30. Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. Manatt dropped 15 places this year, falling off the A-List and placing at 30th. While the firm did see an increase in RPL, it also saw a 14-point drop in associate satisfaction, along with a 13.5-point drop in the female equity partners category.

31. Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer. Appearing for the first time on this list, Arnold & Porter scored an impressive 91.5 in the pro bono category. However, with more subpar scores of 62.5 in associate satisfaction and 65.5 in diversity, there is still room for improvement.

32. Cooley. Cooley dropped by six spots to place 32nd this year. While the firm did see improvements in pro bono (63.5), RPL (86) and female equity partners (81), it also saw a decrease in associate satisfaction by 15.5 points, along with a minor decrease in diversity.

33. Winston & Strawn. Despite a 10-point decrease in associate satisfaction, Winston & Strawn moved up from 38th to 33rd in the rankings. The firm saw a 15.5-point rise in female equity partners, along with a nine-point rise in diversity (now 63).

34. Dechert (tie). Dechert climbed 10 places with the help of a 25-point increase in its associate satisfaction score (now 93), and an increase in diversity by 8.5 points. While the firm did see decreases in the female equity partners and pro bono categories, it still managed to finish in 34th.

34. White & Case (tie). White & Case moved up four places to tie for 34th this year. The firm kept its perfect score in diversity and improved its scores in all other categories. However, its female equity partners score only improved to 35.5 points, giving the firm room to improve.

36. Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Willkie dropped 10 places to 36th. The firm experienced a decline in multiple categories, including a 12-point drop in associate satisfaction (now 73.5) and a six-point fall in diversity. But Willkie did see small improvements in its RPL and pro bono scores.

37. Sullivan & Cromwell. Despite a nearly perfect score in the RPL category (99.5), Sullivan & Cromwell dropped 13 spots to place 37th. The firm's associate satisfaction score dropped by 13.5 points (now 50), along with its diversity score falling by five points.

38. Hogan Lovells. Hogan Lovells was able to improve its associate satisfaction score by 13.5 points, but that did not stop the firm from dropping by two spots in this year's rankings. The firm saw a minor improvement in RPL, but its scores dropped in diversity, female equity partners and pro bono.

39. Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Weil dropped by 10 spots this year from 29th to place 39th. Even though the firm saw a minor increase in its RPL score, every other category saw a decrease, including a 9.5-point drop in female equity partners (now 51).

40. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson (tie). Fried Frank moved up by two spots this year from 42nd. The firm saw declines in associate satisfaction and pro bono, but offset those weaknesses with a strong RPL score and an eight-point increase in diversity.

40. Goodwin Procter (tie). Goodwin Procter jumped five spots to tie for the last place on our runners-up list. Despite declines in female equity partners and pro bono, the firm saw multiple improvements, including a 16-point increase in associate satisfaction and an increase in diversity.