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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

RETRO MODERN - With all the talk about how legal professionals must work smarter, faster, more efficiently, and be more data- and tech-savvy, it might seem like there's no room left for more "old school" client service built on cultivating personal relationships and, y'know, being a really good lawyer. But, as Zach Warren writes in this week's Law.com Barometer newsletter, there's no need to choose one approach over the other. To the contrary, it's the integration of traditional law and alternative services that is fueling growth. To receive the Law.com Barometer directly to your inbox each week, click here.

SHUT 'EM DOWN, OPEN UP SHOP - In a Law.com Litigation Trendspotter column a few weeks back, we discussed how the recent wave of COVID-19 cases has forced court administrators into a high-stakes game of "Would You Rather?" featuring several equally unappealing options: socially distanced in-person jury trials, fully virtual trials or some hybrid of the two. Now, just as a number of courts across the country are being forced to put in-person trials on ice once again after failed restarts this fall, others are preparing for their first attempts at bringing live juries back after long layoffs. In this week's Litigation Trendspotter, we examine why some courts are eyeing a comeback as soon as January while others have shut down trials until well into next year.

LODGING COMPLAINT -  Robinson & Cole filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit Tuesday in Delaware District Court on behalf of logistics and travel management company CrewFacilities.com LLC. The plaintiff, which entered an agreement with the New York City Emergency Management Department to source and manage temporary lodging for individuals impacted by COVID-19, accuses HotelEngine Inc. of interfering in and seeking to take over the government contract. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendant. The case is 1:20-cv-01637, CrewFacilities.com v. HotelEngine. Stay up on the latest litigation with the new Law.com Radar.