Kentucky Mineral Law Planning Luncheon
Members are invited to submit topics for the October 13-15, 2010 Kentucky Mineral Law Conference at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington, KY.  A brief description of the topic and any proposed speakers should be emailed by June 14.  The topics and speakers will be selected at the June 15 planning luncheon in Lexington.  If you wish to attend the luncheon meeting, please reply to this email and the time and location will be provided.  The 2010 Kentucky Mineral Law Conference is chaired by Brian Wells of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs in Lexington, and will begin on Wednesday afternoon with a half-day oil and gas track, general sessions on Thursday, and coal track on Friday morning with members of the Kentucky Coal Association.  Also on Friday morning will be a concurrent track for young lawyers, chaired by Heather Blandford of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP in Morgantown, WV.

Two EMLF Courses at WVU College of Law on Track for August 2010
Watch the EMLF website for the program brochure and registration information for the Coal Law Short Course, August 1-4 at the West Virginia University College of Law, now in its second year providing extensive course materials and approximately 24 hours of Continuing Legal Education, plus a field trip to the WVU Department of Mining Extension’s state-of–the-art simulated underground coal mine.  Completed in 2009 with mining equipment and rescue chamber donated by area coal companies, the simulated underground coal mine facility near Core, WV, is used for specialized training for new miners and mine rescue teams, with the capability to provide live fire training.

Comments about the 2009 Short Course:

• “Printed materials were worth the price of admission”
• “One of the best conferences I’ve been to”
• “Materials themselves are worth coming for”
• “Suggest sending a copy of the materials to law school libraries in the region”

A concurrent course on Climate Change runs August 2-4 at the WVU College of Law, covering the science of climate change, options for reducing GHG emissions from the electricity sector, state and regional GHG programs and voluntary markets, international treaties, federal legislation and regulation, evidentiary considerations related to climate change litigation, climate change tort litigation and dispute resolution, carbon offsets and implications for agriculture, carbon credits and avoided deforestation, the science of co2 capture and geologic storage, carbon capture and storage regulatory program developments, pore space ownership, legal issues related to wind projects, biomass projects, nuclear power, greenhouse gas reporting, and SEC reporting guidelines related to climate change risk.  Watch the EMLF website for complete brochure and registration information.

David Ries Honored with Award at 31st Annual Institute
The John L. McClaugherty Award for extraordinary service to the EMLF and to the legal profession was awarded to David G. Ries, partner in the Pittsburgh firm of Thorp Reed & Armstrong.  Recognized for his continuing legal education presentations on professional ethics and his years on the Executive Committee and as Foundation president, David was presented with the award by R. Neal Pierce, the first recipient of the McClaugherty Award.  Since its establishment at the Foundation’s 25th Annual Institute, the following EMLF members have been honored with the award:  Edward M. Green, Crowell & Moring; J. Thomas Lane, Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love; Thomas C. Means, Crowell & Moring; R. Neal Pierce, Law Office of R. Neal Pierce, LLC; Russell L. Schetroma, Culbertson Weiss Schetroma & Schug;  Joseph J. Zaluski, Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, and Sharon J. Daniels, EMLF Executive Director.

Scholarship Awards Announced at Annual Institute
Twelve (12) applicants from EMLF Member Law Schools received a total of $32,000 in Scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year:

• American University – Washington College of Law, Winfield Wilson – $1,000 General Fund Scholarship;
• Appalachian School of Law, William Estes – $1,000 James H. Davis Scholarship and
  $2,000 General Fund Scholarship;
• University of Oklahoma, Stephen Gary – $3,000 General Fund Scholarship and Aaron Meek – $3,000 General Fund Scholarship;
• Penn State Law School, Robert Jochen – $5,000 Jan and Chester Keeton Scholarship;
• University of Pittsburgh, Meredith Odato – $5,000 President’s Scholarship, and Nikolina Smith – $1,000 General Fund Scholarship;
• Southern Methodist University, John Davis – $3,000 General Fund Scholarship, Jonathan McCartney – $3,000 General Fund Scholarship,  Richard Kamprath – $2,000 General Fund Scholarship, and Betty Lam – $1,000 Mary Sue Schulberg Scholarship; and
• Tulane University, Alayne Gobeille – $2,000 General Fund Scholarship.
  

Many thanks to the EMLF Scholarship Committee:  Professor Bob Beck (SIU), Professor Buzz Belleville (Appalachian), J. Richard Emens (Emens & Wolper), Professor Joseph Dellapenna (Villanova), Melanie J. Kilpatrick (Rajkovich Williams Kilpatrick & True), Thomas C. Means (Crowell & Moring), Joseph K. Reinhart (Babst Calland Clements & Zomnir), and Professor Ernest E. Smith (Texas).

Kirsten Nathanson Assumes Presidency of EMLF at Annual Institute
Kirsten Nathanson, partner in the firm of Crowell & Moring, became the Foundation’s 32nd president following the Board of Trustees election of new officers and Board members at the 31st Annual Institute at Amelia Island, Florida.

John T. Boyd II, President and CEO of the John T. Boyd Co., Canonsburg, was elected vice president and president-elect.  Timothy Miller, Robinson & McElwee, Charleston, WV is the new Secretary/Treasurer.

Executive Committee members for 2010-2011 are Kenneth E. McDonough, American Electric Power, Columbus, OH; Kevin K. Douglass, Babst Calland Clements & Zomnir, P.C., Pittsburgh, PA; Sharon O. Flanery, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Charleston, WV; Blair M. Gardner, Jackson Kelly PLLC, Charleston, WV; Benjamin M. Sullivan, EQT Corporation, Charleston, WV; G. Brian Wells, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, Lexington, KY; and past presidents Maureen D. Carman, Attorney at Law, Versailles, KY and C. David Morrison, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, Clarksburg, WV. Tim Gresham, Penn Stuart & Eskridge, Abingdon, VA, will continue his appointment as special advisor to the Executive Committee.

A welcome from the president and the new Board of Trustees is listed on the EMLF website.  Newly-elected for their first term as Trustee at Large on the EMLF Board of Trustees are:

• Kathy G. Beckett, Jackson Kelly PLLC, Charleston, WV;
• Steven M. Carpenter, Corporate Risk Manager and Director – Carbon and International Business, Marshal Miller & Associates, Bluefield, VA;
• Timothy J. Hagerty, Frost Brown Todd LLC, Louisville, KY;
• Frank B. Harrington, VP and Deputy General Counsel – Mining, Alpha Natural Resources, Abingdon, VA;
• Gregory J. Ossi, Venable LLP, Vienna, VA;
• Christopher B. Power, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Charleston, WV;
• F. Thomas Rubenstein, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Morgantown, WV;
• Alexander C. Schoch, Executive VP, CLO and Secretary, Peabody Energy Corp., St. Louis, MO;
  
• Robert C. Williams, Deputy General Counsel, EQT Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA; and
  
• Gregory A. Zerkel, President, Mason Dixon Energy, Inc., Bridgeport, WV.