Academic

Faculty Research

2017 33 Ga. State L. Rev. 609

Article

2017 2 LSU J. Energy L. & Reg. 263

Article

2014 46 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 423

Article
ONE Courses

6510 - Energy Law

(3 hours). This course comprehensively examines energy law both doctrinally and in a broader social and political context. Topics include the history, economics, and environmental considerations relevant to energy regulation; the regulatory context and policies espoused by that context; particular issues relevant to hydro, coal, oil, gas, nuclear, solar, and wind power; and the nexus between energy law and climate change. The course approach draws from both traditional doctrinal and seminar formats, which allows for discussion of current events relevant to the course topics.

6523 - Environmental Law

(3 hours). This is a survey course designed to introduce students to the common law and statutory approaches pertaining to environmental issues such as population, economic growth, energy and pollution. The primary focus is on the major federal environmental protection statutes including the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, as well as statutes regulating pesticides and dealing with the testing of hazardous substances. Course coverage also includes examination of the administrative process and the role of courts in environmental litigation. Certain recurring themes animating the development of federal environmental law are emphasized, including the role of public interest, economics, scientific uncertainties and risk factors, and the government's need for relevant information regarding the effects of pollution on the environment in order to regulate effectively.

​​​​​​​6700 - Environmental Law Seminar

(2 hours) -- The seminar is open to all upper level students, has no prerequisites and does not require a background in environmental law. The format of this seminar will involve reading and discussion of selected classical and contemporary works which have an environmental theme or influence. The grade will be based on a composite of class participation, short papers, and a group presentation on one of the assigned readings. Illustrative readings may include: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson; Tomatoland, by Barry Estabrook; The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World, by Russell Gold; Babylon’s Ark: the Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Bagdad Zoo, by Lawrence Anthony; Stand Up That Mountain, by Jay Leutze; The Sixth Extinction, by Elizabeth Kolbert; The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey; A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean; A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold; Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman; Ectopia by Ernest Callenbach; and Food, Inc., edited by Karl Weber. In addition, the class will watch selected movies, which may include: Erin Brockovich, Gasland, Crude, Blue Gold, Local Hero and King Corn. Please note that although the seminar’s shorter writing assignments will not satisfy the Graduation Writing Requirement, accommodations will be made to allow students to extend a paper to meet the GRW, as needed. The readings may be obtained from any source, such as through Amazon, bookstores, or electronic format of E-Readers (e.g. Kindle, Nook).

​​​​​​​6100 - Federal Indian Water Law Seminar

(2 hours). Water rights and their management increasingly present critical legal and economic development challenges, and in Oklahoma – as throughout the West – those challenges are often made more complex by the interplay of state law rights and American Indian tribal rights. This course will provide students the opportunity both to study a fascinating and unique area of law as well as examine the complexity of inter-sovereign resource disputes. The course will explore the history and policy that have shaped water law, and building on a review of foundational Indian law cases as well as relevant history, we will examine the substantive rules of federal Indian law cases and – at least as importantly – the complex intergovernmental processes in which these rules are applied (e.g., general stream adjudications, the McCarran Amendment, the federal criteria and procedure for American Indian water rights settlements, the Montana approach, etc.) This course will require a paper that can be used to satisfy the Graduation Writing Requirement.

6100 - How to Drill a Well

(3 hours). Teams of students work under the supervision of an in-house lawyer at one of several Oklahoma City oil and gas companies. Throughout the semester the teams are assigned weekly tasks that involve drafting, negotiating, curative work, or interdisciplinary work. Specific tasks vary, but generally include preparing a confidentiality agreement, oil and gas lease negotiation and acquisition, drafting special lease provisions, drafting and negotiating a farmout agreement, drafting and negotiating a purchase and sale agreement, title curative work, geophysical permitting, working with geophysicists and geologists in selecting a well site, preparing division orders, drafting crude oil sales contracts, drafting gas processing and transportation contracts, and drafting memos concerning actual disputes in litigation or that may lead to litigation. How to Drill a Well is the first of what the College of Law hopes will be several “experiential” offerings, teaching skills essential to specialized law practice.

​​​​​​​6552 - International Petroleum Transactions

(2 hours). This course considers the legal issues and transactions relating to the exploration, production, and marketing of petroleum-the largest and most important commodity traded worldwide. Coverage includes how countries settle competing claims to oil and gas reserves, how host governments or state-owned oil and gas companies contract with private companies to explore and develop oil and gas resources, and the contracts that parties engaged in such activities enter into with each other. This course also covers the international marketing of crude oil and natural gas.

6100 - Midstream Oil & Gas

(2 hours). This course provides an overview of, and an examination of the legal issues facing, the midstream oil and gas industry. The midstream industry provides the infrastructure necessary to gather, process, transport, store and market crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and refined products. Coverage includes negotiated agreements for the gathering and processing of natural gas; the regulation of transportation of gas under the Natural Gas Act and oil under Interstate Commerce Act; the regulation of pipeline safety by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; and the use of tax exempt Master Limited Partnerships to own midstream assets.

6100 - Mineral Title Examination

(2 hours). This course examines the encompassing comparative laws of Oklahoma, Texas, and other oil producing states. The course examines the study of relevant law and preparation of a mineral title opinion.

​​​​​​​5633 - Native American Natural Resources

(3 hours). After an overview of the history of U.S. native policy and the basic doctrines of Indian law, this course covers a variety of issues relating to tribal interests in and jurisdiction over environmental resources. Course coverage includes tribal rights to land; land use and environmental protection in Indian country; economic and natural resource development issues (including grazing, minerals, timber and taxation); water rights; hunting and fishing rights; as well as international perspectives on indigenous resources. Throughout the course, students will consider the roles of the tribal, federal, and state governments in resource regulation and use.

​​​​​​​6100 - Oil & Gas Environmental Law


(3 Hours). This course will cover primarily oil and gas environmental law, which includes coverage of certain federal and state environmental statutes and case law. We will consider many environmental issues that affect oil and gas operations, such as land/lease acquisition, geological exploration, well site preparation, drilling, completion, production, and midstream activities.

​​​​​​​6540 - Oil and Gas

(3 or 4 hours). Nature of property interests in oil and gas; conveyancing of interests in oil and gas; legal interests created by oil and gas leases; validity of leases; habendum, drilling, and rental clauses; assignment of interests of lessor and lessee; rents and royalties; and conservation of oil and gas.

​​​​​​​6550 - Oil and Gas Contracts

(2 or 3 hours). Prerequisite: Oil & Gas is recommended, although not mandatory. Examination of contracts used in the oil and gas industry for exploration, production, and development of oil and gas properties and for investment; the nature of the relationships created by such contracts; the rights and duties of the parties; income tax consequences and governmental regulation of such contracts.

​​​​​​​6100 - Oil and Gas Practice

(2 hours). This course is an examination of, and practical skills approach into, oil and gas practice in Oklahoma. This course will examine how oil and gas wells are drilled in Oklahoma and the important rules, regulations and statutes that govern many facets of oil and gas exploration and conservation. From the filing of the Intent to Drill; to settling surface damages; permitting wells through the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC); the jurisdiction of the OCC; the OCC Rules of Practice; and additional developmental drilling; pipelines; horizontal drilling; negotiated agreements; unitization; underground storage; environmental issues and water law will all be covered along with an examination of the relevant case law.

​​​​​​​6331 - Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal (ONE J)

(1 hour). Prerequisite: ONE J membership. Production of case summaries of recently released court decisions on matters relating to oil and gas, natural resources, and energy; student notes and comments on topics relating to oil and gas, natural resources, and energy; editorial work on submitted articles relating to oil and gas, natural resources, and energy; or other approved activities associated with production of the Review.

6580 - Water Law

(2 or 3 hours). The system of water rights; riparian, appropriation, and prescriptive rights; stream, surface, and ground water; transfer and termination of rights; injuries caused by water; development of water supplies; federal-state, interstate, and intrastate conflicts; water pollution control; federal and Indian rights; and federal water resource problems.

​​​​​​​6100 - Wind Law

(2 hours). This course will cover wind project development, state and federal legislative and regulatory status and processes, permitting processes, and construction and other document negotiation and content.

Thank you for your interest in applying to OU Law

Please select your program of interest to learn more about the application process.

J.D. ProgramM.L.S. ProgramLL.M. ProgramLegal Assistant Education Not sure? Learn more about admissions at OU Law