It's that time of year again. We're elated to present the 2018 NLJ 500, our annual report ranking the nation's largest 500 U.S.-centric firms. We break out data for total attorneys, partners and largest U.S. offices and our national business of law team contextualizes the numbers.

Two features frame this year's package. Washington, D.C.-based reporter Ryan Lovelace pens our overview story (page 14), and Miriam Rozen, who is based in New York, writes our story on the Women's Scorecard (page 18), which ranks the nation's largest law firms according to their percentages of female attorneys.

What's the big takeaway? Lawyer head counts increased 1 percent over the previous year to nearly 165,300. But, as Lovelace notes, that growth was a bit slower than in 2016, when the NLJ 500 grew by about 2 percent.

Another angle embedded in the data is the impact that law firm mergers have had on the market. Post-merger, for instance, one firm moved up to the No. 31 ranking on the NLJ 500 from its previous ranking of No. 63 on last year's list.

And in the Women's Scorecard, a New York-based firm takes the top spot for the seventh year in a row. How does the firm do it? By creating a “very embracing,” career-nurturing environment, a senior partner says. For more on these and other law firm trends, check out these and other stories in our NLJ 500 report.

Next, Marcia Coyle takes a look back at the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the case involving a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, citing his religion. The high court ruled 7-2 for the baker on narrow grounds. Did oral arguments in December offer court observers hints on the direction the court would go? And what guidance, if any, does the decision provide for similar cases now moving through the courts? Coyle looks to law professors and her deep knowledge of the court to unpack it all.

Speaking of unpacking, when moving from the government to a private law firm, there are a lot of considerations to weigh. Will the new firm help you grow your practice? Does it have a detailed plan in place to integrate you with firm clients? And are business development expectations realistic? Raphael Prober, co-head of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's congressional investigations practice and one of the NLJ's 2017 D.C. Rising Stars, delves into the details of making a transition from government to private practice and shares tips for success. It's the latest column in our new series by astute, young lawyers in Washington and beyond. Let us know what you think. Email me at [email protected] or reach out on Twitter via @lhelemNLJ. As always, thanks for reading and stay in touch!