Career Timeline of Amal Clooney: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Amal Clooney made an impact.

Amal Clooney is a highly respected Lebanese-British international human rights lawyer. She is renowned for representing prominent clients in significant human rights cases. Some of her notable clients include former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed, Julian Assange of WikiLeaks, Yulia Tymoshenko, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad. She has also advocated for journalists facing persecution, such as Maria Ressa, Khadija Ismayilova, and Mohamed Fahmy, demonstrating her dedication to defending human rights and freedom of expression on a global scale.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2000: Graduation from Oxford

In 2000, Amal Clooney graduated from St Hugh's College, Oxford, with an upper second-class degree in Jurisprudence. She is now an honorary fellow of the college.

2002: Admittance to the New York Bar

In 2002, Amal Clooney was admitted to the New York Bar, qualifying her to practice law in New York.

2004: Judicial Clerkship at the International Court of Justice

In 2004, Amal Clooney completed a judicial clerkship at the International Court of Justice, serving under judges Vladlen S. Vereshchetin from Russia, Nabil Elaraby from Egypt, and ad hoc judge Franklin Berman from the United Kingdom.

2005: Prosecution Work at The Special Tribunal for Lebanon

In 2005, Amal Clooney worked as a prosecutor at The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, prosecuting the case against five members of Hezbollah accused of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri.

2010: Called to the Bar of England and Wales

In 2010, Amal Clooney was called to the Bar of England and Wales, Inner Temple, further expanding her legal qualifications.

January 2015: Joined Legal Team Representing Armenia

In January 2015, Amal Clooney became a member of a legal team representing Armenia in an appeal before the European Court of Human Rights against Turkish politician Doğu Perinçek, who was convicted of denying the Armenian genocide.

2015: Visiting Faculty Member at Columbia Law School

From 2015, Amal Clooney was a visiting faculty member and senior fellow at Columbia Law School's Human Rights Institute, where she co-taught the Human Rights Course with professor Sarah Cleveland.

2016: Co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice

In 2016, Amal Clooney co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) with her husband, George Clooney, to provide free legal aid in defence of free speech and women’s rights in over 40 countries.

2017: $1 Million Grant to Southern Poverty Law Center

In 2017, the Clooneys awarded a $1 million grant to the Southern Poverty Law Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, to combat hate groups in America.

March 2018: Joined Legal Team for Reuters Journalists

In March 2018, Amal Clooney joined the international legal team representing Burmese Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were imprisoned in Myanmar.

2018: Donations Following Stoneman Douglas Shooting

In 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the Clooneys pledged $500,000 to the March for Our Lives and also donated $100,000 to the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights.

May 2019: Release of Reuters Journalists

In May 2019, the Burmese Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were represented by Amal Clooney, were released from prison in Myanmar.

July 2019: Leadership of Legal Team Representing Maria Ressa

In July 2019, Amal Clooney and Irish barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher became the leaders of the international legal team representing Filipino-American journalist Maria Ressa, who was facing legal charges.

2020: Donations to Lebanese Charities

In 2020, Amal and George Clooney donated $100,000 to three Lebanese charities (the Lebanese Red Cross, Impact Lebanon, and Baytna Baytak) to provide aid to those affected by the explosion in Beirut.

2020: $1 Million Donation to Coronavirus Relief Efforts

In 2020, the Clooneys donated $1 million to coronavirus relief efforts, including money for the NHS, The Lebanese Food Bank, and The Mill at Sonning Theatre.

November 2021: Conviction of Islamic State Member for Genocide

In November 2021, Amal Clooney was co-plaintiff's and victims' counsel in the first case in which an Islamic State member, Taha al-Jumailly, was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison.

April 27, 2022: Remarks at UN Security Council Meeting on Atrocities in Ukraine

On April 27, 2022, Amal Clooney delivered remarks at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on Ensuring Accountability for Atrocities Committed by Russia in Ukraine.

2022: Launched 'Get Her There' Campaign

In 2022, Amal Clooney, along with Michelle Obama and Melinda French Gates, launched the 'Get Her There' campaign to catalyse educating and empowering teenage females.

2022: Partnership to Advance Gender Equality

In 2022, the Clooney Foundation for Justice partnered with the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance and Melinda French Gates to advance gender equality and reduce levels of child marriage worldwide.

December 2023: Filed Civil Case Against Lafarge on Behalf of Yazidi Plaintiffs

In December 2023, Amal Clooney filed a civil case on behalf of over 800 Yazidi-American plaintiffs against French cement manufacturer Lafarge for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group.

January 2024: Convening of ICC Advisory Panel

In January 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) convened an advisory panel, on which Amal Clooney served, to review the prosecutor's investigation into potential war crimes committed in the Gaza war.

May 2024: Recommended Arrest Warrants in Gaza War Investigation

In May 2024, it was announced that Amal Clooney served on an advisory panel that reviewed the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court's investigation into potential war crimes committed in the Gaza war. The panel recommended arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yahya Sinwar.

October 2025: Conviction for crimes against humanity in Darfur

As of October 2025, Amal Clooney represented 126 victims of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and obtained the only trial that resulted in a conviction for crimes against humanity in Darfur at the International Criminal Court against Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman.

October 2025: Co-founded the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice

In October 2025, Amal Clooney co-founded the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice, a collaboration between Oxford University and the Clooney Foundation for Justice to harness AI and new technologies to increase access to justice.

2025: Visiting Faculty Member at Columbia Law School

Until 2025, Amal Clooney was a visiting faculty member and senior fellow at Columbia Law School's Human Rights Institute, where she co-taught the Human Rights Course with professor Sarah Cleveland.

2026: AI to address the gap between the supply of qualified lawyers and the need for justice with the Women Lawyers Association (WLA) in Malawi.

In 2026, Amal Clooney reported on the foundation's work to use AI to address the gap between the supply of qualified lawyers and the need for justice with the Women Lawyers Association (WLA) in Malawi.