Lauren Butterly

Dr Lauren Butterly is a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the UWA Law School. Her research focuses on environmental law and governance, heritage law, administrative law, mining law, native title, and legal history. She holds a PhD from UNSW (2020) and has held academic roles at ANU and UNSW, where she won top teaching awards in 2018. She is a Chief Investigator on the ARC Linkage Grant LP210100011 on Indigenous-led Sea Country Management. She is admitted as a lawyer in WA, NSW, and the High Court of Australia.

• Education: BA in Australian History (UWA), LLB (First Class Honours, UWA), PhD in Law (UNSW)
• Research Highlights: Specializes in reconciling Indigenous sovereignty with settler-state claims, particularly in Australia’s Northern Territory. Her work intersects environmental governance and Aboriginal rights.

Her articles analyze legal frameworks for sea country management, Aboriginal cultural heritage reforms, and climate litigation strategies. She has been recognized with awards for her PhD and teaching excellence.

• Grants: ARC Linkage Grant (2021-ongoing)
• Engagement: Authored blogs/podcasts on native title cases, environmental policy, and legal history.