As the bar for inclusion in the Am Law 100 rises ever higher, holding steady in the rankings can take some persistence. And for firms whose revenue places them near the bottom of the rankings, failure to keep pace can mean slipping off the list altogether.

Take Steptoe & Johnson LLP, which ranked 96th for the second year in a row in the 2019 Am Law 100 rankings released this week. The firm held its position after dropping 21 places in the rankings over the last decade.