In this episode of Corner Office, Elise Powers sits down with Tommy Haskins, litigator and the Dallas Office Managing Partner of Barnes & Thornburg. Tommy shares why he dedicates his time to being the Chair of the Law Student Recruiting Committee and what the top summer associates do to stand out. The conversation explores his perspective on why being responsive is so essential, especially early on in your legal career. Tommy provides practical tips on how to demonstrate responsiveness via email, what responsiveness looks like on the weekends, and how to proactively communicate with supervising attorneys about your progress on assignments. This episode is filled with concrete, actionable advice and personal stories. It’s a must-listen for law students looking to land a job offer at a law firm or new attorneys who want to succeed as a junior law firm associate.
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(00:00:00) Introduction to the episode and guest Tommy Haskins
(00:00:58) Tommy's background and legal education
(00:01:27) His practice area and broad litigation focus
(00:01:57) Leadership roles at Barnes & Thornburg
(00:02:10) Time management across lawyering and leadership
(00:02:37) Transition to managing partner and firm culture
(00:03:35) Wearing multiple hats in a law firm
(00:03:58) Mentorship and building attorney teams
(00:04:20) National approach to law student recruiting
(00:05:00) Evolving law school recruiting landscape
(00:06:20) Defining who fits the firm and future hiring needs
(00:07:26) Traits of successful associates at Barnes
(00:07:54) Tommy's own path to Barnes & Thornburg
(00:08:52) Risks and rewards of joining a new office
(00:09:23) Reflections on due diligence and early career decisions
(00:10:01) Why Barnes became the right platform for his career
(00:10:46) What sets Barnes apart in big law
(00:11:46) Encouraging associates to be entrepreneurial
(00:12:31) Business development as a career-long skill
(00:13:16) Internal business development for young attorneys
(00:14:01) Transitioning business development externally
(00:14:42) Responsiveness as a key professional trait
(00:15:31) Internal vs. client responsiveness
(00:16:26) Missed opportunities and the impact of silence
(00:17:06) Setting clear expectations for summer associates
(00:17:52) What responsiveness looks like in action
(00:18:32) The power of proactive status updates
(00:19:21) Lessons from mentoring a junior associate
(00:20:26) Communicating around missed deadlines
(00:21:01) How long should it take to reply to emails?
(00:22:06) Learning communication styles on a team
(00:23:06) Balancing top-down and individualized leadership
(00:24:06) Knowing your team's boundaries
(00:25:06) Earning trust to make exceptions when needed
(00:26:05) Junior attorneys' reluctance to communicate needs
(00:27:01) How to share boundaries with professionalism
(00:28:06) Tommy's approach to inbox management
(00:29:21) Email strategy to reduce stress
(00:30:07) Email responsiveness on weekends
(00:31:47) When and how to disconnect from work
(00:32:36) Intentionality with time and communication
(00:33:12) Weekend email etiquette and earning "points"
(00:34:06) Setting expectations clearly via email
(00:35:06) Recap of takeaways on responsiveness and initiative
(00:36:06) Final advice to summer associates
Links:
Tommy Haskins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-haskins-88246425/
Barnes & Thornburg: https://btlaw.com/en
