The Energy & Mineral Law Foundation has established a Legacy Fund, initially for the purpose of accepting memorial contributions honoring Russell Schetroma, a Steptoe & Johnson lawyer who died in his sleep on March 12 in Houston.  The Legacy Fund is created to provide a vehicle for members and friends wanting to make living and testamentary contributions to the EMLF and as a way to permanently recognize and honor living or deceased members for their contributions to the EMLF.

Absent specific restrictions placed on the use of funds donated by members or friends, the Legacy Fund will be invested and used at the discretion of the Executive Committee, with special consideration given to (a) providing stipends for law students for research and writing, (b) funding research, presentations and writing by professors or other recognized speakers, and (c) law student scholarships.

Russ Schetroma epitomized the mission of the EMLF through his unwavering commitment to thoughtful and intellectually honest legal scholarship in the areas of energy, mineral and natural resources law.  Russ was a frequent speaker and contributor at EMLF Annual Institutes, and authored these chapters for the Energy & Mineral Law Institute:  Quiet Title Actions: Tools to Address Select Appalachian Title Defects (2013); General Reflections Upon the Evolving Eastern Oil & Gas Lease (2009); Conflicting Rights and Interests Among Oil and Gas Lessees, Surface Owners and Other Interest Holders (2003); and Oil, Gas and Mineral Titles: A Short Analysis of Available Curative Actions for Common Title Defects (1999).

It is hoped that the stipends for law students and funding for research and writing provided for in the Legacy Fund will foster the kind of study and analysis which came to be identified with Russ Schetroma.

Tom Lane chaired the small group of colleagues who recommended how donations to the Legacy Fund would be used.  Many thanks to Kevin L. Colosimo, Kevin K. Douglass, John K. Keller, and C. David Morrison for their work.

Gifts can be made to the EMLF Legacy Fund at 340 South Broadway, Suite 101, Lexington, KY 40508, with the notation that the gift honors Russ Schetroma.  One hundred percent of the contributions will be invested in the fund to ensure Russ’s contributions to the EMLF and natural resources legal scholarship are permanently recognized.