Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey 2026: Opportunity for Early-Career Lawyers in Ocean, Coastal, and Climate Law

This survey aims to understand the realities faced by people working or seeking to work at the intersection of law, ocean protection, and climate action. By gathering feedback directly from practitioners, particularly those based in the Global South, Sustainable Ocean Alliance hopes to determine whether a dedicated fellowship would be valuable and, if established, how it should be designed to meet the needs of its intended participants.

The survey takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary, and individual responses will be kept confidential and reported in aggregate or anonymized form. Respondents can skip questions, and their names will not be attached to their responses unless they are separately asked and agree to be identified.

The findings will contribute to a Needs Assessment Report expected in late 2026. Participants who opt in at the end of the survey may also be invited to take part in a regional consultation or a short follow-up conversation.

For early-career legal professionals passionate about ocean and climate issues, this is an opportunity to help shape a potential fellowship that responds to real professional needs rather than relying on assumptions about what young practitioners require.

About Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA)

Sustainable Ocean Alliance is an organization working to support ocean advocates and advance solutions to challenges affecting the ocean. In the survey announcement, SOA explains that it has already conducted two initial cohorts supporting 80 early-career ocean advocates from 52 countries.

Building on that experience, the organization is now examining whether a similar fellowship should be developed specifically for early-career lawyers working on ocean and climate issues.

Legal professionals can play an important role in addressing ocean-related challenges through environmental legislation, policy development, legal research, advocacy, regulatory work, coastal governance, and climate-related legal initiatives. However, the career paths available to early-career practitioners can differ significantly depending on their location, access to professional networks, available funding, institutional support, and the legal systems in which they work.

A fellowship designed for ocean and climate lawyers would therefore need to consider the professional realities of its intended participants. The needs assessment survey is intended to gather the information necessary to explore those realities.

Rather than announcing a confirmed fellowship with established benefits and application requirements, SOA is seeking input to help determine whether the proposed program should exist and how it could be structured.

What Is the Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey?

The Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey is a consultation initiative designed to collect information from early-career legal professionals and recent law graduates interested in ocean, coastal, and climate law.

Its central purpose is to assess whether there is a need for a dedicated global fellowship supporting early-career lawyers in these fields.

The survey seeks to understand participants’ current circumstances, the challenges they encounter, the assistance available to them, and the forms of professional development that would make the greatest difference to their careers.

The information gathered will help SOA consider the potential value, structure, and practical design of a future fellowship.

The survey focuses on three principal questions:

1. What support do early-career ocean and climate legal practitioners currently have access to? This includes understanding the resources, opportunities, and forms of assistance available to people at the beginning of their legal careers.
2. What would make the greatest difference to their professional development? SOA wants to learn what participants believe would help them advance their careers and contribute more effectively to ocean and climate work.
3. What is realistic for practitioners at this career stage? The organization wants to understand what participants could reasonably undertake alongside existing employment, professional responsibilities, or academic studies.

These questions are important because a fellowship can only be useful if it responds to the needs of its intended participants and takes their professional and personal circumstances into account.

Who Is the Survey Intended For?

The survey is intended for people at the beginning of their legal careers who are working on, or interested in, ocean, coastal, and climate law.

The announcement specifically identifies three groups of potential respondents.

1. Early-Career Lawyers

Early-career lawyers working on ocean, coastal, or climate-related issues are among the primary groups the survey seeks to reach.

These practitioners may be involved in environmental law, climate policy, ocean governance, marine conservation, coastal protection, legal advocacy, research, or related areas. Their experiences can help SOA understand the professional support available to people already working in these fields.

The survey can also help identify challenges that may affect the ability of early-career lawyers to build expertise, establish professional connections, and contribute to legal and policy solutions.

2. Recent Law Graduates

Recent law graduates who are interested in ocean, coastal, and climate law are also part of the intended audience.

Graduates entering the legal profession may face questions about career direction, access to relevant opportunities, practical experience, mentorship, and the transition from academic study to professional work.

Their feedback can help SOA understand what support would be most useful to people seeking to establish careers in ocean and climate law.

The announcement does not specify a precise number of years after graduation that qualifies someone as a recent graduate. Individuals whose eligibility is unclear should contact the organizers for clarification.

3. Master of Laws (LL.M.) Students

Master of Laws students working on, or interested in, ocean, coastal, and climate law are another group the survey seeks to engage.

LL.M. students may be developing specialized knowledge in environmental law, international law, maritime law, climate law, ocean governance, or related disciplines.

Their perspectives can help the organization understand how postgraduate legal education connects with professional opportunities and what forms of support might help students transition into ocean- and climate-related legal work.

A Particular Focus on Practitioners in the Global South

The survey announcement states that SOA has a deliberate focus on practitioners based in the Global South who understand the real conditions of this work in frontline communities.

This emphasis recognizes the importance of hearing directly from legal professionals who work in regions where ocean degradation, coastal vulnerability, climate change, and resource-management challenges may affect communities and livelihoods.

Practitioners based in the Global South may have valuable insights into the barriers that prevent early-career lawyers from accessing training, mentorship, professional networks, funding, or opportunities to influence legal and policy processes.

Their experiences can help inform a potential fellowship that is more responsive to regional contexts and the practical realities faced by legal professionals working with affected communities.

The announcement does not state that the survey is restricted exclusively to Global South participants. Instead, it describes a deliberate focus on practitioners in these regions.

Why Is a Needs Assessment Important for a Potential Ocean Legal Fellowship?

Developing a fellowship requires more than identifying a worthwhile issue. Program designers must understand the needs of the intended participants, the challenges they face, and the resources that could help them develop professionally.

The Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey is intended to provide this foundation.

Understanding Existing Support and Gaps

One of the survey’s central objectives is to establish what support early-career ocean and climate legal practitioners can already access.

Some professionals may have access to mentors, specialized training, professional networks, funding, or institutional support, while others may have fewer opportunities.

Understanding these differences can help SOA identify areas in which additional support may be valuable and avoid designing a program that duplicates resources already available to its intended audience.

Identifying Career Development Priorities

The survey also seeks to understand what would make the greatest difference to respondents’ careers.

Different practitioners may have different priorities depending on their professional backgrounds, countries, institutions, and career ambitions.

For example, some may be interested in strengthening their knowledge of ocean and climate law, while others may prioritize professional relationships, practical experience, career guidance, or opportunities to engage with policy and advocacy work.

These are examples of potential areas of interest, not confirmed benefits of a proposed fellowship. The purpose of the survey is to discover which forms of support respondents actually need.

Designing a Realistic and Accessible Program

The third major question concerns what participants could realistically take on alongside existing work or study.

Early-career lawyers may already have demanding professional responsibilities, while recent graduates and LL.M. students may need to balance academic commitments with other obligations.

A future fellowship would need to consider the time, flexibility, and resources participants could reasonably commit.

Gathering feedback on these constraints can help SOA evaluate potential program formats and design a fellowship that is practical for its intended audience.

How Could a Future Ocean Legal Fellowship Support Early-Career Lawyers?

The survey is exploring whether a dedicated fellowship should be created, so its final structure and benefits have not been confirmed in the supplied announcement.

Nevertheless, the needs assessment is intended to help SOA determine what kind of support would be most valuable to early-career legal professionals working on ocean and climate issues.

The survey may help the organization better understand the professional environment in which these practitioners operate, their career aspirations, and the obstacles they encounter.

The information could inform decisions about whether a fellowship is appropriate and, if it proceeds, how its activities and support mechanisms should be designed.

It is important for prospective respondents to distinguish between the survey and a confirmed fellowship application. This is an invitation to provide input into program development, not an announcement that applications for a new fellowship are currently open.

The survey announcement does not confirm fellowship funding, stipends, scholarships, travel support, mentorship arrangements, training modules, or selection procedures. Such details would need to be announced by SOA if the fellowship is established.

How Long Does the Survey Take?

The survey is expected to take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

This relatively short time commitment allows early-career lawyers, recent graduates, and LL.M. students to share their perspectives without requiring a lengthy application process.

Participants are encouraged to answer based on their own experiences, current circumstances, and professional aspirations. The purpose is to understand the realities faced by people working in or interested in ocean and climate law.

Respondents do not need to treat the survey as an application for a fellowship. Instead, they should approach it as an opportunity to contribute information that may help shape a future program.

Survey Consent, Confidentiality, and Voluntary Participation

Before proceeding, participants are asked to confirm whether they agree to take part in the survey under the stated terms.

The introduction and consent section outlines several important conditions.

Participation Is Voluntary

Taking part in the survey is optional. Individuals can decide whether they wish to participate and are not required to continue if they do not want to take part.

The survey provides two consent options:

• Yes, I agree to take part in the survey.
• No, I do not wish to continue.

Respondents should select the option that reflects their decision.

Participants Can Skip Questions

The survey announcement states that participants may skip any question.

This gives respondents flexibility to decide which questions they are comfortable answering and to provide information according to their circumstances.

Individual Responses Will Be Kept Confidential

SOA states that individual responses will be kept confidential and reported in aggregate or anonymized form.

Aggregate reporting means that findings can be presented as combined results rather than as a collection of individually identified responses. Anonymized reporting means that information is presented without identifying individual respondents.

The announcement further states that responses will not be attributed to participants by name unless they are separately asked and agree to be identified.

Participants should review the survey’s consent wording before proceeding and contact the organizers if they have questions about confidentiality or the use of their responses.

What Will Happen to the Survey Findings?

The information collected through the survey will contribute to a Needs Assessment Report expected in late 2026.

The report is intended to inform SOA’s consideration of whether a global fellowship for early-career ocean and climate lawyers should be developed and, if so, how it should be designed.

The findings may help the organization understand common professional challenges, existing support systems, career development priorities, and the practical limitations that potential participants face.

The survey also provides an opportunity for practitioners from different professional and regional contexts to contribute to the discussion.

Possible Regional Consultations and Follow-Up Conversations

At the end of the survey, participants may have the option to opt in to further engagement.

Those who opt in may be invited to participate in:

• A regional consultation.
• A short follow-up conversation.

These activities could give interested participants another opportunity to share their perspectives and help inform the needs assessment.

However, opting in does not guarantee an invitation to a consultation or follow-up conversation. The announcement only states that participants may be invited.

How to Participate in the Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey

Individuals who belong to the intended audience and wish to contribute can use the survey link provided by Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

The supplied survey text includes the title and consent information but does not provide a direct link to the survey form itself. Prospective respondents should therefore obtain the official survey link from SOA or contact the organizers using the email addresses below.

To participate:

1. Confirm your interest: Consider whether you are an early-career lawyer, recent law graduate, or LL.M. student working on or interested in ocean, coastal, and climate law.
2. Access the official survey: Use the survey link provided by SOA.
3. Review the introduction and consent terms: Understand how participation, confidentiality, and reporting are described.
4. Choose whether to participate: Select the appropriate consent option.
5. Complete the survey: Allow approximately 10 to 15 minutes to answer the questions.
6. Consider further engagement: If the survey offers the option, decide whether you want to opt in to possible regional consultations or follow-up conversations.

The survey announcement does not provide a formal closing date. Respondents should contact the organizers or consult the official survey form to confirm whether a submission deadline applies.

CLICK THE LINK HERE

Deadline for the Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey

The supplied announcement does not specify a closing date for the survey.

It states that the findings will contribute to a Needs Assessment Report expected in late 2026. This is the anticipated reporting period, not a confirmed survey submission dead.

CLICK HERE for more information on the Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey

Conclusion

The Ocean Legal Fellowship Needs Assessment Survey represents an opportunity for early-career lawyers, recent law graduates, and Master of Laws students interested in ocean, coastal, and climate law to contribute to the possible development of a new global fellowship.

Led by Sustainable Ocean Alliance, the survey seeks to understand the support currently available to practitioners, the career development assistance they need most, and what is realistic for them to undertake alongside existing work or study. The organization has already supported 80 early-career ocean advocates from 52 countries through two earlier cohorts and is now exploring whether a dedicated fellowship for ocean and climate lawyers would be valuable.

The survey takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes, participation is voluntary, and responses will be kept confidential and reported in aggregate or anonymized form. Its findings will contribute to a Needs Assessment Report expected in late 2026, and participants who opt in may be invited to regional consultations or follow-up conversations.

For legal professionals, particularly those based in the Global South, this is a chance to share practical insights that could help shape a future professional development initiative. Those interested in contributing should obtain the official survey link and review the consent terms before participating.

Discover more global fellowship opportunities on opportunities for youth (OFY) HERE .