Following morning presentations on mineral leasing, recent developments in Louisiana mineral law, and the evolving use of artificial intelligence in law practice, the 71st Mineral Law Institute paused on Thursday, March 21, to posthumously honor the late Randall “Randy” Davidson with the LSU Mineral Law Institute Distinguished Service Award.
A longtime member of the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute Advisory Council, Davidson graduated from LSU Law in 1976. He frequently lectured on Louisiana mineral rights law and authored articles for the LSU Mineral Law Institute as well as the LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources.
“We could always count on Randy,” said LSU Law Professor Keith Hall, who holds the Nesser Family Chair in Energy Law and serves as director of both the LSU Mineral Law Institute and the LSU John P. Laborde Energy Law Center. “He would pitch in by writing a thorough paper or making a presentation that raised interesting perspectives. He was also a faithful and active member of the Advisory Council who attended the meetings and contributed excellent program suggestions.”
Davidson attended Harvard University as a National Merit Scholar and graduated cum laude before attending LSU Law, where he graduated as a member of The Order of the Coif. He returned to Shreveport, where he grew up, after earning his law degree to practice with Blanchard, Walker, O’Quinn and Roberts. He later established his own practice, Davidson, Nix & Jones, now known as Davidson, Summers, Hearne, Martin & Powell. The firm specializes in commercial transactions, oil, gas and mineral law matters, corporate law, and real estate.
LSU Law alumnus Andrew Martin (’12), who co-authored a law review article with Davidson in 2013, accepted the Distinguished Service Award on behalf of his late colleague and friend at the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute.
“Randy was proud of his years of contributing to the Mineral Law Institute, and so I was honored to accept an award on his behalf which recognizes those contributions,” said Martin, who was recently appointed to the Louisiana Mineral Law Institute Advisory Council. “While his death was a big loss to Louisiana mineral law, the legacy he left behind is immense. Randy was incredibly smart and, just as importantly, had an insatiable intellectual curiosity which enabled him to see tough issues from unexpected angles.”
Established in 2014, the Distinguished Service Award honors individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the institute or mineral law education.
Andrew Martin (’12) accepted the LSU Mineral Law Institute Distinguished Service Award on behalf of his late friend and colleague, Randall “Randy” Davidson (’76) at the 71st Mineral Law Institute on March 21 from LSU Law Professor Keith Hall.
“A decade practicing with him taught me that Randy was more than just a brilliant lawyer,” said Martin, who remains a partner at Davidson, Summers, Hearne, Martin & Powell. “He was a fundamentally good man, a man who cared deeply for those in his world.”
Davidson passed away on Jan. 7, 2023, in Shreveport at the age of 71. Read his obituary.
Previous recipients of the LSU Mineral Law Institute Distinguished Service Award include:
- Pat Ottinger (’76)
- Mark Dupuy Jr. (’54)
- Lanny Yeates (’81)
- Tom Harrell (’51)
- John M. McCollam
- Arnold Johnson