Energy Law Career Guide

Articles

Michael D. Goldhaber, Oil in the Blood: As the Magic Circle Makes Inroads, Texas Energy Firms Defend Their Turf, American Lawyer, October 2008, at 134.
Discusses the competition between Houston-based law firms and their counterparts in London and New York for work on oil and gas deals.

Angel Gonzalez and Ryan Dezember, Houston Lawyers Ride New Gusher, Wall Street Journal, Nov. 16, 2012.
Examines Houston's growing demand for lawyers specializing in oil and gas law.

Janan Hanna, Energy Law, Student Lawyer, Feb. 2012, at 22.
Offers tips and advice for law students seeking to enter this growing field.

Julie Kay, Riding a Boom Built on Energy, National Law Journal, May 26, 2008.
Covers the growing demand for lawyers in this practice area, with an emphasis on the job market in Houston.

Chris Mondics, A Philadelphia Law Firm Gone Nuclear, Philadelphia Inquirer, July 27, 2008, at A01.
Describes how the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP has become one of the major players in the effort to build the next generation of nuclear reactors.

Irene Plagianos, Drilling for Trouble? A Controversial Practice Called Fracking Has Set Off a Multi-Billion Dollar Land Rush and Created New Work for Defense and Deal Lawyers Alike, American Lawyer, Dec. 2010, at 15.
Explains how fracking is reviving the oil and gas industries in some states, while the resulting environmental damage spawns lawsuits.

Nate Raymond, Nuclear Fusion: Three Firms Power Up as a Niche Practice Gets Hot Again, American Lawyer, Dec. 2007, at 22.
Discusses the increasing demand for lawyers with experience in nuclear energy regulation.

Drew Singer, Oil & Gas Law Changing Legal Landscape, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Feb. 13, 2012, at A12.
Examines how lawyers and law firms are gravitating towards the growing practice area of oil and gas law, and discusses what it takes to specialize in this field.

Steven T. Taylor, Nuclear Energy Practice Heats Up As Obama Team Calls For More Nuke Power, Of Counsel, April 2010, at 1.
Another article dicussing the increasing demand for lawyers specializing in nuclear energy.

Periodicals

Infrastructure
A quarterly newsletter from the ABA's Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law.
Available in the law library's current periodicals section (we keep the current year only) and on Lexis.

Natural Resources & Environment
A quarterly newsletter from the ABA's Section of Environment, Energy and Resources.
Available in the law library's periodicals collection and on Hein Online.

Organizations

ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
321 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60610
tel: (800) 285-2221
e-mail: environ@abanet.org
website: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/environment_energy_resources.html 
This ABA section is for lawyers working in the areas of environmental law, natural resources law, and energy law.  "The Section is committed to providing members with opportunities to enhance professional skills, stay on top of developments and to participate in dialogue in these substantive areas. It represents more than 10,000 members with a wide range of professional interests. . . . . The Section keeps its members abreast of development trends, current court decisions, legislative initiatives, and statutes concerning environmental, natural resources, and energy law."  --From the website

ABA Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law
321 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60610
tel: (800) 285-2221
e-mail: pubutil@abanet.org
website: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_utility.html 
"The Section brings together members of the bar interested in the rapidly changing legal environment in the communications, cable TV, internet, electricity, gas, oil pipelines, aviation, motor carriers, railroads, and water industries. The third oldest Section in the ABA, the Section was established in 1917 when public interest demanded regulation of these fields. The Section currently has approximately 3,900 members, plus over 3,000 law students." --From the website

Energy Bar Association
1990 M Street, N.W., Suite 350
Washington, D.C. 20036
tel: (202) 223-5625
fax: (202) 833-5596
e-mail: admin@eba-net.org
website: http://www.eba-net.org/
The Energy Bar Association's website includes a job bank, membership directory and information on meetings and events. Student memberships are available.

Institute for Energy Law
5201 Democracy Dr.
Plano, TX 75024-3561
tel.: (972) 244-3400
fax: (972) 244-3401
e-mail: iel@cailaw.org  
website: http://www.cailaw.org/iel/
The Institute for Energy Law, part of the Center for American and International Law, offers educational programs, scholarly publications and membership activities for energy lawyers.  Papers from the Institute's Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference are available on Lexis.

Other organizations may be found using:
Encyclopedia of Associations.  Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co., 1961-
Covers more than 100,000 nonprofit membership associations worldwide.  Available on Lexis.

Photo:  Associated Press