It’seasy to mistake Amal Clooney for a movie star. After all, most of us know her as the woman who captured the heart of Hollywood’s most legendary eligible bachelor. We’re used to seeing her at Cannes, the Golden Globes or the Met Ball, gliding down the red carpet in sky-high Louboutins and a uniquely stunning number from Gucci or YSL.

And yet, while the pop culture landscape may pull our attention towards her style and glamour, there is certainly more than meets the eye when it comes to Amal. Far more impressive than marrying one of the most famous actors on the planet, at just 38-years-old Amal is already one of the world’s most accomplished human rights lawyers, her short career overflowing with high-profile cases of global proportions.

It’s inspiring to live in a day and age where a woman of great intellect can create a massively successful career in a traditionally masculine field, while being allowed to shine fully in her feminine power. Gone are the days where a woman can’t have brains and beauty and be taken seriously in a court room! Let’s take a closer look at how she did it, shall we?

From the moment she was born, Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin) has been a true woman of the world. Born in Beirut but raised in the UK, Clooney speaks fluent English, French and Arabic, skills that have come in handy for her myriad of international legal cases. Her inspirational ascent to the top of the legal world began with her attendance and study at Oxford University and her subsequent Master’s from NYU. From there she clerked at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands and worked in the UN Special Prosecutor’s Office before returning to London, where she became a Barrister at the prestigious firm Doughty Street Chambers.

Along the way, it’s clear that Clooney has sought mentorship from powerful and brilliant women. In fact, she worked with future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor while studying in the United States, and the two stayed in touch as Amal built her career in London. They were recently seen together in New York having a fabulous catch-up dinner along with Clooney’s husband George.

Speaking of Mr. Clooney, it’s perhaps his own humanitarian interests that have drawn him to his wife. Throughout his career, George has used his stardom to bring awareness to a variety of issues, including the Sudanese genocide and global climate change. Now with Amal in his corner, it seems his commitment to impact is only magnified. For these two, shared activities include meeting with the German Chancellor to discuss the plight of refugees, or speaking at a government communications summit in Dubai. Talk about a power couple!

And yet, when it comes to tackling some of the biggest issues of our moment, Amal is truly the one in the spotlight. In the past, she’s represented clients like Julian Assange of Wikileaks and the Prime Minister of the Ukraine, and fought to have journalists released from Egyptian prisons. Now the unstoppable lawyer is taking on ISIS. Recently she addressed the United Nations, describing in detail the horrific human rights violations that the terror group has enacted against women and children all over the Middle East.

Making major news, Amal also filed a lawsuit against ISIS on behalf of Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Iraqi student who was sexually abused and assaulted by ISIS members and sold into sex slavery. While Clooney may be representing just one person, by taking on this case and bringing these atrocities to light on such a vast stage, she is giving voice to the hundreds of thousands of women who have yet to see justice for the horrors done to them by ISIS.

Clooney is not only interested in seeking justice for those who are suffering today, she’a also committed to ensuring that the world doesn’t forget past injustices, as a way of preventing them from happening again. Alongside her husband, she has advocated for the Armenian people as they seek international recognition for the events of the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923, and she has again followed up this advocacy with results.

One interesting thing about the rise of Amal is how the Paparazzi have taken to following her around like an actress, snapping photos of her in the court room looking gorgeous as ever. But while the photos of what she’s wearing end up in Hello and US Weekly next to snaps of all the screen stars, when it comes to making headlines, Amal makes her words count. A quick search for “Amal Clooney Interview” will show you that this is a woman committed to speaking up for what she believes in.

Now that you know that Amal Clooney is at any given moment handling eleven different cases of
international importance while teaching at Columbia and advocating for issues she’s passionate about, you may find it even more astounding that this woman manages to show up on the red carpet again and again looking absolutely fabulous. How does she do it? When you’re lit up by what you do and who you’re with, and are comfortable and confident in your own skin, there is no limit to how much impact and joy one woman can have in lifetime.

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