South Texas College of Law Houston’s Harry L. Reed Oil & Gas Law Institute hosted an international conference last week for the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law (FNREL), focused on “Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage.”
Program chair for the conference was Tara K. Righetti, professor of law, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. “Hosting at South Texas College of Law Houston was ideal,” Righetti said. “We appreciated the beautiful classrooms, seamless technology, and helpful staff. It was fantastic to be able to host this program in Houston and in an academic environment.”
Participants attended from across the United States and from Norway and Germany.
“It’s good to see organizations like FNREL and the Institute for Energy Law recognize that South Texas College of Law sits directly in the heart of the energy capital of the hemisphere, if not the world,” said Chris Kulander, South Texas Law professor of law and former member of the FNREL Trustee Council. “No law school in Houston, much less the state, matches that advantage.”
Alex Ritchie, FNREL executor director, said, “We were fortunate to be able to hold this cutting-edge legal conference at a law school that is committed to providing comprehensive coursework and programs in oil and gas and energy law. The conference, which brought together expert presenters and participants from around the nation and the world, was a great success in no small part because Professor Kulander and the entire South Texas College of Law Houston community made everyone feel so welcome.”
Houston is an attractive destination for energy-related events. “It seems like every month there’s an oil and gas law-related conference in Houston, if not right at the school,” Kulander said. “Our students can get exposed to the business, the law that governs it, and contacts within it, in a way not surpassed by any other school.”
Alumnus Tony Zamora ’18, environmental lawyer and STCL Houston’s senior director for bar readiness, currently represents the law school as a member of the Trustees Council for the foundation. He encourages students to attend FNREL events and helps them make connections in the energy and environmental law practice areas.
“Prof. Kulander put the law school and Houston on this organization’s radar,” Zamora said. “Hosting this major conference was a great opportunity. Holding important discussions about carbon capture in such a dynamic energy city is huge, and our law students loved the opportunity to network with these top practice professionals.”
This two-day Institute was the most comprehensive, in-depth educational program to date on the legal issues associated with carbon storage projects, including tax credits, commercial agreements, land issues, permitting, and environmental regulation.
