Amal Clooney

Amal Clooney, a distinguished international human rights lawyer, earned her LLM degree from New York University School of Law in 2001, where she received the Jack J. Katz Memorial Award for excellence in entertainment law. Admitted to the New York bar in 2002, she further enhanced her expertise with a judicial clerkship at the International Court of Justice in 2004. Clooney was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2010 and maintains her practice as a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers.

Her impactful work as co-plaintiff’s counsel led to the first conviction of an Islamic State member for genocide in 2021 and a significant civil case against French cement manufacturer Lafarge in 2023 for alleged material support to the Islamic State. Demonstrating her commitment to global justice, Clooney co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) with George Clooney in 2016. This non-profit organization provides free legal aid, defending free speech and women’s rights in over 40 countries through initiatives like TrialWatch and Waging Justice for Women. CFJ’s efforts have directly contributed to the release of journalists and offered legal support to thousands of women combatting abuse, economic discrimination, and child marriage.

Looking ahead, Clooney will assume the prestigious role of Professor of Practice at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government in 2025, further solidifying her influence as both a leading practitioner and an academic in international human rights law.