Dr Sarah Lothian

I am a Senior Lecturer and Academic Barrister at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong.

I decided to embark upon a career in Academia after spending 12+ years in the legal profession. During my legal career I always endeavoured to build upon my academic credentials. In many ways, I enjoyed law school so much I never wanted to leave!

I completed my undergraduate studies in Arts and Law at the University of Sydney in 2008 and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia. Whilst working full time as a Solicitor in a busy boutique Sydney law firm, I completed my Masters in Family Law at the College of Law Sydney in 2012. After being called to the Bar of New South Wales in 2013 I decided to continue my studies. In 2016, I completed my Masters in Maritime Law at the University of Nottingham (With Distinction) and was awarded the School of Law’s Best Graduating Masters Student of 2016.

After successfully defending my PhD in Law at the University of Sydney in November 2020 I secured a position as Lecturer at ANCORS. In this role, I draw upon my experience as a legal practitioner. I remain an active member of the New South Wales Bar and I am also admitted as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. In 2023 I was promoted to the position of Senior Lecturer at ANCORS.

At ANCORS, I am the Course Coordinator of one of our core postgraduate subjects SEA 904: Maritime Regulation and Enforcement, and teach into a range of courses on law of the sea and other oceans governance issues. I also co-supervise Masters and PhD research projects in these areas.

My research focuses on the protection, conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and the recently adopted BBNJ Agreement.

My research monograph "Marine Conservation and International Law: Legal Instruments for Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction" was published by Routledge in 2022. My monograph comprehensively addresses the BBNJ Agreement and each of the four elements of its package deal, namely, marine genetic resources, area-based management tools (including marine protected areas), environmental impact assessments, capacity-building and marine technology transfer.