Tom Walsh Discusses How Hobbies Aid Legal Work With Texas Lawyer

Winston & Strawn Complex Commercial Litigation Practice Co-Chair Tom Walsh was featured in a Texas Lawyer article highlighting his hobbies outside of his work as a litigator, and how his hobbies aid him in his legal work. Tom has substantial experience successfully handling complex commercial litigation, class action, and patent litigation cases. Outside of the courtroom, Tom has spent 27 years as a radio play-by-play announcer for Jesuit College Preparatory School football, where he has called more than 200 high school football games, and has been involved in community theatre for more than three years. Tom started participating in community theatre with North Texas Performing Arts with his daughter. They have performed together in several musicals with Tom’s primary roles including the mayor in "The Music Man,” the Ghost of Christmas Present in "Scrooge," George Banks in "Mary Poppins," and, currently, King Arthur in "Camelot." He also took singing lessons to improve his skills.

“One of the lessons that I think any lawyer has to have and any sportscaster has to have is you have to be prepared,” he said. “To sound knowledgeable, you have to be knowledgeable, and so the amount of preparation that goes into being a sportscaster is tremendous.”

Tom told Texas Lawyer that both of his hobbies aid him in his legal work with adapting to changing situations. He noted that, just like in court, there are many variables in a live sports broadcast and in musical theatre, and things don’t always go according to script. He explained that you have to be quick to adapt when circumstances change in a game and you have to hit your marks and your notes when the lights come on in the theatre.

“I fervently believe that every time you get up in front of people as a sportscaster or a stage performer... every rep that I'm up in front of someone with a spotlight on me and having to perform under pressure, I just think it makes me a better trial lawyer,” Tom said. “It’s been such great outlets for me and just feeling... getting pure joy right in different ways... my only regret is that I didn’t discover it sooner.”

Tom said his advice to young lawyers is to have a hobby. "I think we love to highlight that... here at Winston Strawn... we're doing the best top-notch cutting-edge legal work in the country, but you also can have a life where you do things that are important to you with your family," he said.

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