The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF) is proud to announce it has presented its 2025 John L. McClaugherty Award to Sandra K. Fraley. The McClaugherty Award is the Foundation’s highest honor and recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of energy and mineral law, and to EMLF. It is named after the late John L. McClaugherty, a founding member and former president of the organization.
Sandy has been a member of EMLF for over twenty-five years, and has served in numerous leadership roles, including multiple terms on its Board of Trustees Executive Committee, the chair of many previous conferences, and most recently as its liaison with the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL).
2024 McClaugherty Award winner Kevin L. Colosimo presented the award to Sandy at EMLF’s 46th Annual Institute in June in Nashville, Tennessee. Kevin noted that Sandy’s selection for this year’s award was unanimous, and the selection committee, which is made up of all the previous award winners, particularly recognized Sandy’s role as a mentor to lawyers and law students, especially women, and to others in EMLF as they assumed leadership roles in the organization. Kevin shared a comment from former EMLF President Sharon Flanery that Sandy “always invests her time in developing and providing opportunities for those she works with.” Sandy is also integral in maintaining the close partnership that EMLF shares with AAPL.
Not only an asset to EMLF, Sandy has served as in-house counsel to numerous Fortune 500 energy companies, and in private practice, opening Steptoe & Johnson, LLC’s Oklahoma City office and serving as its first managing member. A native of Johnson County, Kentucky, Sandy played a crucial role in the development of oil and gas law in the shale era in Appalachia. When accepting the award, Sandy expressed gratitude for the recognition and said that EMLF has been important to her for her entire career. She mentioned that she appreciates the close friendships and connections she has made through EMLF. The full presentation may be viewed here.
Sandy Fraley is a Member with Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC, a leader in the oil and gas industry, with more than 25 years of experience in assessing risks, developing strategies, and managing a large docket of energy-related litigation, and reducing legal costs by applying a broad range of legal skills and experience across multiple oil and gas basins.
She is the Managing Member of the Oklahoma City office and has a diverse background in managing litigation, advising on challenging legal issues and devising solutions to fit business needs. Her experience as part of senior management teams at leading exploration and production companies, and specifically for a major Fortune 500 energy company, brings practical, real-world perspective to her practice.
She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law and Eastern Kentucky University, is a member of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation Board of Trustees, and the American Association of Professional Landmen and is a Registered Professional Landman.
The late John L. McClaugherty (1931-2003) was a former member and past president of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (then named the Eastern Mineral Law Foundation). Mr. McClaugherty was a native of Princeton, West Virginia, who attended Northwestern University and the West Virginia University College of Law. He served as a Staff Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force before joining the law firm Jackson Kelly in 1959, where he later became the managing member for nearly twenty years.
Civic-minded, Mr. McClaugherty served as chief counsel to the Senate of West Virginia Counsel on the Judiciary from 1967 to 1975 and held numerous community leadership positions including President of the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. He also frequently volunteered his time in service to the bar through his involvement with the American Bar Association, the American Judicature Society, the American Bar Foundation, the West Virginia Bar Foundation, the West Virginia State Bar Association, the Kanawha County Bar Association, and the West Virginia Judicial Council, among others. EMLF is a non-profit organization that is an accredited provider of continuing education for lawyers, landmen, and other energy professionals. For more information about EMLF, visit emlf.org.