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 British international human rights lawyer known for representing high-profile clients such as Mohamed Nasheed, Julian Assange, Nadia Murad, and Maria Ressa. She's held positions with the UN and the UK government and teaches at Columbia Law School. With her husband, George Clooney, she co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2002: Admittance to the New York Bar

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

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 multiple judges.

2005: Prosecution at The Special Tribunal for Lebanon

In 2005, Amal Clooney worked as a Prosecutor at The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, prosecuting a case related to the assassination of 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. She became a practicing barrister at Doughty Street Chambers.

January 2015: Joins 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.

2015: Visiting Faculty Member at Columbia Law School

Since 2015, Amal Clooney has been a visiting faculty member as well as a senior fellow at Columbia Law School's Human Rights Institute, where she co-taught the Human Rights Course with Professor Sarah H. Cleveland.

2016: Co-founding of the Clooney Foundation for Justice

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

2016: Clooney Foundation for Justice Co-Founded

In 2016, Amal Clooney co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) with her husband, George Clooney, to provide free legal aid for 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: Joins legal team for Reuters journalists

In March 2018, Amal Clooney joined the international legal team representing Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were sentenced to seven years in prison by the Government of Myanmar.

2018: Donations Following Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

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

May 2019: Release of Reuters journalists

In May 2019, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were represented by Amal Clooney's legal team, were released from prison.

July 2019: Representation of Maria Ressa

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

2020: Donation to Lebanese Charities

In 2020, Amal and George Clooney donated $100,000 to three Lebanese charities 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 and The Lebanese Food Bank.

November 2021: Islamic State member Taha al-Jumailly Convicted of Genocide

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

2021: Nobel Peace Prize for Maria Ressa

In 2021, Maria Ressa, who is represented by Amal Clooney, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her "courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines".

April 27, 2022: Remarks at UN Security Council Meeting

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: Launch of 'Get Her There' Campaign

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

2022: Partnerships for 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 child marriage worldwide.

December 2023: Civil Case Against Lafarge Filed

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 Salafi jihadist group Islamic State.

May 2024: ICC Advisory Panel on Gaza War

In May 2024, it was announced that Amal Clooney had 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.