Message from Our President

Welcome to the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation.

I’ve been part of EMLF at every stage of my career: as an associate at a member firm, as in-house counsel at two coal companies, and now as in-house counsel at a natural gas producer. EMLF has been valuable to me at each one, though in different ways. As a young lawyer it gave me the chance to learn from the leading practitioners in our field. In-house, it has kept me current on issues outside my day-to-day work, while providing the opportunity to make connections with this generation’s best energy lawyers. 

So who are these energy lawyers?  Our members work in oil and gas, coal, renewables, power and nuclear. Their practices cover transactions, litigation, regulatory work, land, safety and employment.  And every year, a new class of law students and young lawyers joins them.  One of the things that makes EMLF special is its commitment to providing a forum where lawyers from different sectors of the energy industry and with different specialties can share and learn from one another. 

EMLF is also where I start when I need to hire outside counsel.  By the time I reach out to someone I’ve met through EMLF, I already know their qualifications and their character, because I’ve heard them present, worked alongside them on committees and shared a table with them at dinner. That kind of trust takes years to build, and EMLF is where much of it gets built.

I’m proud to call myself an energy lawyer, and it is my honor to serve as President this year.  I hope to work with each of you to build upon the foundation that has been laid by so many legendary energy lawyers through the years.

As we close in on 50 years as an organization, we will keep doing what has made EMLF successful for so long: offering high-quality CLE programs, giving lawyers at every stage of their careers a place to build their professional networks (and renew old friendships), and mentoring the lawyers who will follow us. 

EMLF works because its members show up as speakers, authors, committee volunteers and sponsors. If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved, consider this your invitation.  If you’re new to EMLF or have been away for a while, reach out to me or to our Executive Director, Anna Fletcher. I’d like to hear what would make EMLF more valuable to you.

Drew McCallister
Greylock Energy – Charleston, WV; EMLF President 2026–2027