EMLF: A Message from the EMLF President

Welcome to the website of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation ("EMLF"). For more than 30 years, EMLF has been serving the legal educational needs of those connected to our nation's energy and mineral providers. For those of you new to EMLF, our mission is to “foster the study of energy, mineral and natural resources law through quality, cost effective and timely education, and [to] provide a continuing forum for industry, government, attorneys, legal scholars and the general public to engage in an intellectually honest examination of the legal issues involved in energy and natural resources development.” I do not believe there has ever been a time when EMLF is more needed or relevant.  Today, I believe there are three factors - demand, debate, and danger - that require the forum EMLF provides and the expertise of its members and invited speakers as thought leaders on energy and mineral law.

By demand, I'm referring to the unprecedented demand for energy across the globe today. With the modern industrialized nations, China, India, and the other fast-growing emerging economies, we are seeing a demand for energy production and natural resource extraction that is unparalled in human history. That demand is driving innovation in new technology, new energy sources, and a pressing need to understand the ever-changing markets. EMLF meets that need with programs such as our annual Winter Workshops, which provide the cutting-edge market and business information and commentary we all need to be effective professionals in these volatile times.

Second, because of the demand, the debate over energy policy has never been so diversified, global, and perhaps strident. From policy decisions come legislation, regulations, and enforcement, which all insert the lawyers into the energy marketplace. EMLF's programs actively contribute to this debate, by educating our members on the changing regulatory and litigation environments due to climate change policy, renewable energy sources, and new extraction technologies. Not only can you hear about these issues at our regular programs such as the Annual Institute, but there are two new programs in the coming year where EMLF will lead: a Climate Change Course in August 2010 and a conference on Marcellus shale plays in December 2010. I am proud of these programs and EMLF's contributions to the dialogue.

Finally, a word about the forces of danger that permeate the energy and mineral sectors unlike no other. The events in 2010 in West Virginia, Kentucky, and the Gulf highlight the daily courage of those who choose a livelihood that is not behind a desk with suit and tie, but one that goes underground and on the open water to provide the resources all of us need to pursue our considerably safer and more comfortable pursuits. On a personal note, I am the granddaughter of a West Virginia coal miner. The risks of procuring energy are a part of me, and should also be integral to the Foundation's work.  EMLF should continue to deliver the discussion and analysis of the myriad legal and business issues that flow from that risk.

I invite you to become involved in EMLF as a member, speaker, author, or attendee at our events. I also ask that you share with me what you would like to hear at EMLF's programs, as well as your needs on the interaction of business and law in the energy and mineral fields.  As a federal environmental litigator, I always benefit from the EMLF programs that inform my understanding of business and regulatory issues outside my specialization. I look forward to the coming year and to working on forwarding EMLF's mission by addressing the demand, the debate, and the danger.