Resources to help stay current with energy law

By Marie Calvaruso The Daily Record Newswire Energy law is a fast growing and quickly changing area of law. To develop a basic understanding or to keep up to date with new developments, there are a number of resources available to support your practice or continue your education. Researchers of energy law or oil and gas law have a number of widely used treatises to utilize. The following is a selection of sources to begin your research. * William & Meyers Oil and Gas Law by Patrick H. Martin and Bruce M. Kramer (LexisNexis Matthew Bender) is an eight-volume set providing comprehensive coverage of conveyancing, oil and gas leases, gas purchase contracts, title examination and related issues. The last volume of the set is the Manual of Oil and Gas Terms, 14th, a reference providing definitions of close to 6,000 legal, engineering and tax terms relating to the oil and gas industry. Annotations to cases, statutes, law review articles, and treatises are included. The manual provides cross references to the complete set. For researchers wanting a handy desk resource, a single volume Williams & Meyers Oil and Gas Law Abridged 4th is available. * Summers Oil and Gas, 3rd by Nancy Saint-Paul (West) covers laws and regulations related to developing, producing and transporting oil and gas. Saint-Paul highlights important decisions and examines leases, rents and taxation issues. This multi-volume set features sample forms and agreements and contains an appendix of federal and state statutes and regulations. * For an in-depth survey of the energy industry, Energy Law and Transactions by William A. Mogel and David J. Muchow (LexisNexis Matthew Bender) examines the industry in seven volumes. Traditional energy sources, such as oil, gas, electricity, and coal, and nontraditional sources including solar, nuclear, and hydroelectricity are presented. Topics relating to energy contracts, antitrust, tax, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, and accounting and finance are discussed. The set includes a glossary of energy terms, a directory of regulatory agencies, energy companies, and organizations, model forms and checklists. * A Treatise on the Law of Oil and Gas by Eugene Kuntz (LexisNexis Matthew Bender) is a multi-volume set covering oil and gas conveyancing and operations. Topics covered include insurance issues relating to the use and storage of oil and gas, implied covenants, lease transfers, and federal, state and local regulation. Sample forms and agreements are provided. * A brief introduction to energy law issues can be found in Energy Law in a Nutshell, 2nd by Joseph P. Tomain and Richard D. Cudahy (West). The volume focuses on the energy fuel cycle and the market forces and government policies affecting it. This concise reference includes discussion of natural resources used to produce energy and current energy policy and challenges to it. Oil and Gas Law in a Nutshell, 5th by John S. Lowe (West) introduces conveyance of oil and gas rights, leasing and taxation issues. * Hemingway Oil and Gas Law and Taxation, 4th by Richard W. Hemingway and others (West) is a hornbook covering the oil and gas interest and transactions involving mineral estate, trespass, leases, and federal taxation. The book includes sample forms and a table of cases. * The Law of Oil and Gas, 9th by Patrick H. Martin and Bruce M. Kramer (West) is a casebook detailing property and contract law aspects of oil and gas exploration and development. The book contains commentary and sample forms. Keeping up-to-date with developments in the energy industry and energy law may involve continuing legal education or networking opportunities. There are a number of organizations that provide their members with educational programming, publications, and discussion forums, including the Institute for Energy Law, the Energy Bar Association, and the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources. * The Institute for Energy Law (www.cailaw.org/iel) provides educational programming, publications and activities for its member energy attorneys and professionals. It sponsors a number of regular programs such as the Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference, Energy Litigation Conference, and Power and Alternative Energy Law Conference. Periodic webinars are also offered. The institute produces The Oil and Gas Reporter and The Proceedings of the Institute on Oil and Gas Law, both available from LexisNexis Matthew Bender. * The Energy Bar Association (www.felj.org) provides a forum for discussion of energy issues for attorneys and other professionals. The organization publishes the Energy Law Journal, a law review highlighting current energy issues and developments in energy law. In addition, the EBA sponsors educational programming and annual meetings to promote current awareness and support continuing education. * The American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources (www.americanbar.org/groups/environment_energy_resources.html) helps members stay current with developments in areas related to natural resources, energy and the environment. The section has 38 committees covering substantive areas such as oil and gas, renewable energy resources, environmental disclosure, and smart growth and green buildings. Each committee produces newsletters and offers forums for members to share information. The Section sponsors annual conferences, produces a quarterly publication Natural Resources & Environment, publishes reference books and offers podcasts. ---------- Marie Calvaruso is the director of Libraries and Research Services at Harris Beach PLLC. She holds master's degrees in business administration and library science. She is a past president of the Association of Law Libraries of Upstate New York and has served on the membership and retention committee of the American Association of Law Libraries. Published: Fri, Mar 2, 2012