TU Law Announces Formation of SERL Board of Visitors

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Distinguished Energy Professionals Will Meet for First Time on February 13

The University of Tulsa College of Law announces the formation of the Sustainable Energy and Resources Law (SERL) Board of Visitors, comprised of leading professionals within industry, private practice, government, and the non-profit advocacy community. Board members are engaged in professions that put them at the intersection of energy, environmental, and natural resources law and policy.

The Board will meet quarterly commencing February 13 with a 5:30 p.m. business meeting and a 6:30 p.m. reception and dinner at the College of Law in which TU Law Dean Janet K. Levit, the SERL faculty, and SERL students will participate. The Board's mission is to aid the College in delivering the nation’s best energy, environmental, and natural resources legal education by its members helping SERL professors:

• understand current issues affecting their areas of expertise so that the SERL curriculum will continue to be on the cutting edge,
• secure guest speakers and adjunct professors,
• design and use real world problems and skills exercises in their classes,
• identify externship and job opportunities for SERL students,
• identify leading-edge research topics for SERL faculty and students, and
• provide SERL students with the best possible entry into the professional world.

Gary Allison, TU Law Vice Dean and SERL Director, noted that "the board members' diverse professional backgrounds and distinguished careers enable the SERL program to form a partnership of legal professionals, law professors and students that is uniquely equipped to contribute to the international debate about energy, environmental law, and natural resources policy."

The SERL Board of Visitors is comprised of:
• Charles Babst, Jr., attorney with a major federal natural resources management agency
• James Bender, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Williams
• Angie Beehler, Senior Director, Energy Regulation/Legislation, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
• Kelly Hunter Foster, Senior Counsel, Water Keeper Alliance
• Henry Hood, Senior Vice President – Land & Legal, General Counsel, Chesapeake Energy
• David Page, Of Counsel with the Tulsa law firm of Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis
• Kevin Patrick, Founding Shareholder of Aspen, Colorado-based firm of Patrick, Miller & Kropf
• Thomas Schroedter, Shareholder with the Tulsa law firm of Hall Estill
• John Williams, Partner with the Tulsa law firm of Connor & Winters, LLP
• Laurence Yadon, General Counsel, of a major federal power agency

James Bender will be the Board’s Chairman.

Through its SERL Program, the TU College of Law provides SERL students with comprehensive training in the legal and policy issues inherent in sustainably producing and consuming energy and natural resources and in balancing the tradeoffs between economic growth and protecting human health and the environment. Key components of the SERL Program include helping the Energy Bar Association publish its Energy Law Journal, helping the ABA Section on Environment, Energy and Resources publish its Year in Review, maintaining an active liaison with the National Energy Policy Institute, and offering a SERL certificate that enables students to specialize in energy, environmental and natural resources law.

Contact:
Scott Been
918-631-2568
scott-been@utulsa.edu