Fueling the Future

Fueling the Future — Why broadening student membership powers our industry

by/ MICHELLE PHILLIPS, CPL
Vice President, Land, Lime Rock Resources
Adjunct Oil and Gas Law Professor, South Texas College of Law

As the energy industry undergoes a period of rapid transformation, our ability to attract and cultivate top-tier talent is more critical than ever.  At the December board meeting, the board of directors approved a motion to call a general membership vote to ratify a suggested change to existing bylaws.  Through an online ballot, we will have the opportunity to vote on a bylaw update that is as simple as it is significant: expanding the definition of an AAPL Student Member.

THE PROPOSED CHANGE

This shift moves us from a restrictive model to one that welcomes all full-time postsecondary students into our professional community.

 
Priming the Talent Pipeline: From Law Classrooms to Community Colleges

As an adjunct oil and gas law professor, I see firsthand the caliber of students who are eager to enter the energy sector but are currently sidelined by our existing membership requirements. Law students are a natural fit for our profession; they possess the analytical rigor, contract negotiation skills and deep understanding of property law necessary to excel as landmen. By allowing them to join AAPL now, we provide them with a professional home before they even graduate, ensuring that a career in landwork is a primary goal.

Many students discover the land profession late in their academic careers and cannot take advantage of our accredited land management programs because they are too close to graduation to change majors.  Similarly, this change allows us to drill deeper into the talent pool by welcoming students from community college land management and related programs. These institutions are often the front lines of practical, hands-on education. By inviting these students into our ranks, we foster a more inclusive pipeline of talent that reflects the evolving needs of our industry.

Maintaining the Gold Standard: Preserving the Power of Accreditation

While we are opening our doors wider, it is important to emphasize that AAPL’s accredited programs will maintain their “gold standard” status within the organization. The premier financial benefits that have historically defined our student support—specifically free AAPL student memberships and eligibility for the Landman Scholarship Trust (LST)—will remain reserved exclusively for students enrolled in accredited undergraduate and graduate programs.

This distinction ensures that while we welcome a broader range of students to participate in our professional community, we continue to incentivize and reward the rigorous specialized education provided by our partner institutions.

Refining the Benefits of Inclusion

By approving this change, AAPL will provide a broader group of students with:

• Early professional identity: Access to the Landman magazine and technical resources that bridge the gap between theory and practice.
• High-octane networking: The chance to connect with seasoned professionals through local associations and national events.
• Ethical grounding: Early exposure to the AAPL Code of Ethics, ensuring the next generation enters the field with integrity.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: GENERATING NEW ENERGY FOR LANDWORK

To gauge the impact of this change, we spoke with several students who are eager to join our ranks. Following is an excerpt from our conversation with Jazmin King, a law student studying energy law and policy at LSU.

AAPL: As someone pursuing a law degree, how do you see the role of a landman fitting into your long-term career goals?

King: Becoming a landman fits naturally into my long-term goal of practicing in energy and natural resources law. Having landman experience would strengthen me as an attorney because it builds practical expertise in title, leasing, curative and stakeholder communication, which are skills that assist with transactions and risk management. Long term, I want to be the kind of oil and gas attorney who understands not only what the contract says, but how those terms operate in the field and how title realities, landowner priorities and operational timelines shape the deal. Combining legal training with landman experience would help me bring more value to clients and teams because I can bridge legal analysis with real-world application.

AAPL: What specific aspects of landwork (e.g., title research, leasing, contract negotiation) do you find most fascinating in your current studies?

King: Two areas stand out for me: contract negotiation and title research. On the negotiation side, I’m drawn to the transactional strategy — how parties allocate risk, define operational rights and negotiate terms that will still make sense years later when circumstances change. Courses like Mineral Rights and International Petroleum Transactions have made me appreciate how much the details matter: the definitions, the clauses everyone skims, the “what if” scenarios that come back later. This spring I’ll also be competing on a dispute resolution team and participating in a small business clinic, which will sharpen my negotiation skills in a practical setting. And on the title side, I genuinely enjoy the investigative aspect, like tracing ownership, understanding how interests were conveyed over time and helping bring clarity to landowners who may not even know what they own or why. There is something very meaningful about helping someone understand their land history and rights, and then using that clarity to support development.

AAPL: Before this proposed bylaw change, did you feel there was a “gap” between your academic program and the professional landman community?

King: Yes, there can be a real gap, especially for students who are interested in landwork but don’t have direct access to professional landmen. Many students know the term “landman,” but they don’t have visibility into what landmen do day to day or how to break into the profession. Bridging that gap matters because the earlier students can connect classroom concepts to real landwork, the more prepared they’ll be and the stronger the future pipeline becomes for the industry. It benefits students and it benefits the landman community.

AAPL: How do you think early access to AAPL technical resources and the Landman magazine will help bridge the gap between your classroom learning and real-world practice?

King: Early access would be extremely valuable because it helps students build real-world knowledge while they’re learning the law. In law school, we learn legal principles and cases, but we don’t always see how that translates into the documents, workflows, and practical judgment calls that happen in landwork. AAPL resources and Landmanmagazine can make that connection tangible. They give students exposure to current issues, professional standards and the level of precision expected in the field. That kind of visibility helps reduce the learning curve and makes the transition into practice much smoother. It also motivates students, because they can actually picture what their future role could look like.

AAPL: How do you hope to contribute to the future of the energy industry once you enter the field as a professional?

King: I hope to contribute through integrity and competence, and forward-looking problem-solving. First, I want to be known as someone who does high-quality work, communicates clearly and operates with integrity, especially in an industry where trust, accuracy, and accountability matter. That includes taking compliance seriously and helping ensure projects are legally sound and responsibly developed. Second, I want to be part of the next generation that thinks beyond just “getting the deal done” and considers the broader picture, like community impacts, landowner relationships and long-term efficiency. I’m interested in energy innovation that is practical and not wasteful, and I want to help move projects forward in a way that is both effective and thoughtful. To me, the future is about doing the work well and doing it responsibly.

YOUR VOTE POWERS THE FUTURE

This bylaw change is not a departure from our standards; it is an expansion of our mission. It ensures that AAPL remains the most trusted resource" for anyone with the drive and talent to lead our industry into the future.

I encourage you to vote “YES” on this amendment and help us welcome the next generation of land professionals.

Looking for your ballot? Active AAPL Members check your inbox for an email that was sent on Monday, Jan. 12, containing a link to complete your ballot. The deadline to complete your ballot is Thursday, March 12, 2026.