Julian Aguon

From Loss to Law

Born in 1982 on Guam, Aguon grew up witnessing firsthand the consequences of militarisation and colonial neglect. His father, exposed to radiation-contaminated ships brought to Guam from US nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, died of cancer. These personal losses, combined with the systemic dispossession of his people, propelled Aguon into a legal career. At the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, he trained as a lawyer specialising in self-determination and Indigenous rights, before founding Blue Ocean Law in 2014, the Pacific’s first international human rights law firm.

Building the Pacific’s First Human Rights Law Firm

From its base in Guam, Blue Ocean Law became the first and only human rights law firm in the Pacific dedicated to centring Indigenous voices in international advocacy. It quickly grew into a hub of Indigenous and environmental work across Oceania, partnering with communities in Fiji and Papua New Guinea to resist deep-sea mining, and publishing pioneering work on how to regulate seabed resources in ways that safeguard people and the planet.

Distinctively, the firm bridges grassroots testimony with global legal strategy, ensuring community experiences shape international proceedings. Aguon represented Chamoru groups in cases challenging US militarisation, including litigation against the clearing of limestone forests for firing ranges, a habitat critical to Guam’s endangered eight-spot butterfly. He framed the butterfly, which undergoes one more metamorphosis than other butterfly species, as a symbol of Chamoru resilience in the face of repeated upheavals.

Reflecting on his commitment to his homeland, Aguon has said:

“For me, self-determination is not an abstraction. It’s about protecting the land and waters that raised us, so our people can live full, healthy lives.”

In US federal court case Davis v. Guam, a non-Chamoru resident challenged a planned referendum on Guam’s political status, arguing it was unconstitutional to limit the vote to “Native Inhabitants of Guam.” Aguon represented Guam’s native people, defending their right to determine their political future under international standards of decolonisation. Although the US courts struck down Guam’s law that would have allowed only Native Inhabitants to vote on the island’s political status, his arguments helped galvanise global advocacy at the UN and beyond.

“It’s not always or only about fighting the fights you can win. Sometimes it’s simply about fighting the fights that need fighting,” he said.

When the Pacific Spoke and the World Listened

Aguon and his team played a central role alongside Pacific and international allies in the campaign for an International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on climate change. Careful not to claim sole credit, he has emphasised that the campaign was deeply collaborative, with Pacific states, youth movements and civil society playing indispensable roles. His team at Blue Ocean Law, however, was instrumental in shaping the legal questions and supporting Vanuatu’s successful push to bring the matter before the UN General Assembly in 2023, which then referred the question to the Court.

Over five years, his small firm coordinated with blocs representing more than 79 vulnerable states, drafted submissions, and helped small island developing states and other climate vulnerable countries to argue that wrecking the climate system violates both human rights and customary international law. In July 2025, the ICJ issued its long-awaited opinion — the most progressive climate ruling ever by the world’s highest court — affirming that states have binding obligations to mitigate and adapt, cease harmful practices such as fossil fuel subsidies, and provide reparations for climate harm.

This opinion marked a true before-and-after moment, transforming international climate law from voluntary pledges to binding duties. It was a David versus Goliath breakthrough that proved even small island nations could change the course of history.