Julian Aguon
Julian Aguon | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 28, 1982 |
| Education | Simon Sanchez High School, Gonzaga University, William S. Richardson School of Law |
| Occupation | Human rights attorney |
Julian Aguon (born May 28, 1982) is a Chamorro attorney and author. He founded his own law firm, Blue Ocean Law, which he launched in 2010 and expanded in 2014. He represented Vanuatu in the advisory ruling that resulted in the International Court of Justice ruling known as the Obligations of States in respect of climate change. He was named to the Time100 Next in 2026. He has written a book, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2022 for his essay To Hell With Drowning. He is also a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award.
Biography
[edit]Aguon was born on May 28, 1982 in Guam[1] to a plumber and a social worker, and was an active reader from a young age.[2] He attended the Simon Sanchez High School,[1] before attending Gonzaga University in Spokane, where he spent much of his time with members of the Native American community.[3] He attended the William S. Richardson School of Law in Hawaii, which he graduated from in 2009.[4] He has stated the experience that led him to go into human rights law was a military buildup on Guam in 2005.[5]
Legal career
[edit]After law school, he clerked for the Supreme Court of Guam, before deciding to found his own law firm. He took the bar in Guam, the Marshall Islands, and Palau in preparation before opening up his firm in Hagatna in 2010. In 2014, he expanded it to become known as Blue Ocean Law.[2] The firm focuses on Indigenous rights and culture.[6] He served as the Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals at the University of Hawaii School of Law.[4]
Some notable cases he has worked on include habitat designation for species in Guam,[7] Guam's right to self-determination, deep-sea mining in Fiji, the presence of the U.S. military in Palau, and advising the Marshall Islands on the legacy of the nuclear tests done there by the United States. He has stated that he is "consistently taking on the U.S. empire".[2] Many of his cases revolve not around statutes but around human rights and indigenous heritage, such as what he has called "the right to culture".[8]
In 2019, he was called on by Vanuatu for his law firm to become the country's counsel in a case in front of the International Court for Justice, in collaboration with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change and its head Cynthia Houniuhi. He spent years preparing for the case,[6] where he argued that "climate change, and the conduct responsible for it, has... infringed the right to self-determination for the many peoples of Melanesia". The court agreed, and issued an advisory ruling that would come to be known as the Obligations of States in respect of climate change.[2]
Writing
[edit]He wrote an essay, "To Hell With Drowning", focused on bringing the realities of climate change to life by showing its effect on ordinary people. It was published in The Atlantic in 2021. He became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2022 for the essay, but ultimately did not receive the award.[9][10] He began writing his first book, The Properties of Perpetual Light, during the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic.[11] It published in 2021[12] by the University of Guam Press for an audience throughout Micronesia. It soon gained attention, and was featured in The Atlantic's 2021 summer reading guide.[13] This inspired many of its readers to decide to visit Guam.[14]
In 2022, Astra Publishing House republished the book to a much wider audience under the title No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies. The republished version included a foreword by Arundhati Roy and an added afterword.[15] The book includes memoir and political commentary about the environment,[16] and includes 22 stories and poems.[17] Among its stories and poems are an interview, a graduation speech, and a letter to a friend.[18] Book reviewer Rebecca Foster for Shelf Awareness stated it was "varied and heartfelt" with a "deep love for Guam's people and nature",[19] while the Royal Geographical Society's Elizabeth Wainright described it as "part memoir, part manifesto, part poetry, and entirely beautiful".[20]
Honors
[edit]He was awarded a Right Livelihood Award in 2025[21] jointly with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.[1] He was also awarded a Maga'haga award by Governor Lou Leon Guerrero in 2025.[22] He was named to the Time 100 Next in 2026: his profile was written by Christiana Figueres.[23]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Julian Aguon". Right Livelihood. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- 1 2 3 4 Hofschneider, Anita (2024-12-16). "This Indigenous attorney is fighting for climate justice in the world's highest court". Grist. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "Rescuing the World with Julian Aguon". Gonzaga. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- 1 2 "An Interview with Human Rights Lawyer Julian Aguon '09". University of Hawaii Law. Archived from the original on 2026-07-10. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Cruz, Catherine (2023-09-21). "Writer and lawyer Julian Aguon brings Indigenous perspective to climate justice". Hawai'i Public Radio. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- 1 2 Letman, Jon (2025-11-28). "After landmark climate win, lawyer hopes for a 'new legal order' to protect Indigenous rights". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "The Paradox of Persistence: Q&A with Global Climate Advocate and Author Julian Aguon". The Equation. 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "From Indigenous Loss, a Potent Legal Argument on Climate". Yale E360. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Scott, Madison (May 19, 2022). "Julian Aguon's intimate lens on climate change earns him Pulitzer Prize nod". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "2022 Prize Winners and Finalists | The Pulitzer Prizes". www.pulitzer.org. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "Human rights lawyer explores loss and impact of climate crisis in Pacific islands in new book". NBC News. 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Gelardi, Chris (2021-04-12). "Julian Aguon's Poetic Riposte to American Empire". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "28 Great Reads for Your Every Summer Mood". The Atlantic. May 18, 2021. Archived from the original on 2025-05-26. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Limtiaco, Steve (2021-07-13). "Activist author finds wisdom in Guam childhood memories". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "New York publishing house to republish 'The Properties of Perpetual Light'". Pacific Island Times. 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ "UOG Press publication by Julian Aguon to reach global audience under New York publisher". University of Guam. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Färber, Andrea (January 14, 2022). ""In Guam, even the dead are dying" — A Review of Julian Aguon's "The Properties of Perpetual Light"". Tint Journal. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Souli, Sarah (2021-03-15). "Julian Aguon's The Properties of Perpetual Light is a gift to Indigenous communities". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Foster, Rebecca (September 16, 2022). "No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies: A Lyric Essay". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Wainright, Elizabeth (2022-12-09). "Review: No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies by Julian Aguon". Royal Geographical Society. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Esposito, Isotta (2026-05-20). "Interview with Julian Aguon, 2025 Right Livelihood Laureate". Global Campus of Human Rights. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Perez, Mia (2025-10-09). "Julian Aguon honored with Maga'håga award in Adelup". Isla Public Media KPRG. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ Figueres, Christiana (2026-09-30). "Julian Aguon Is on the 2026 TIME100 Next". TIME. Retrieved 2026-10-02.