Amal Clooney is one of Time Magazine’s Women of the Year. Yes, it’s only March, so the “of the year” stuff is a bit odd, but Time is trying to tie it into Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. Other “women of the year” covers include Kerry Washington, Kacey Musgraves and Zahra Joya (in an interview conducted by Angelina Jolie). Amal’s cover is the one getting the most hype. Superficial comment: she looks especially pretty with a strong lip color! Amal’s Time interview was conducted by one of her clients, Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa. The piece is mostly about Amal’s legal work and the kind of work she’s drawn to (working with women who have faced injustice), but she also talks about her marriage and her kids a little bit. Ella and Alexander turn five years old this summer! You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
She gets too close to her clients: “I definitely work on cases that I feel passionate about. And I don’t agree with advice that I’ve been given over the years where people have said that you shouldn’t get too close to your clients. I do these cases because I believe in the clients… I am then the kind of person who’s available anytime and who goes as far as I need to go to try to protect them.
Why human-rights law: “I’m responding to what I see happening in the world. A world where the guilty are free, and the innocent are imprisoned—where the human-rights abusers are free, and those who report on the abuses are locked up. As a lawyer, I can do something about that. Or I can at least try. So my work is focused on trying to help liberate victims and prosecute perpetrators—and by extension, our foundation’s work is trying to really do that at scale and globally.
Her work on The Clooney Foundation: “We call what we do waging justice for victims of human-rights abuses. Because justice doesn’t just happen—you have to wage it; you have to bend the arc toward it. We try to do that by holding those who are responsible to account. So the methodology is to expose, but also to punish and remedy. And it is a result of both my experience and the many years George has also spent working on these issues.
What it’s like being married to George Clooney: “Marriage has been wonderful. I have in my husband a partner who is incredibly inspirational and supportive, and we have a home filled with love and laughter. It is a joy beyond anything I could ever have imagined. I feel so lucky to have found a great love in my life, and to be a mother—this is how I get my balance.
And what it’s like seeing her work denigrated in the media because she’s married to George Clooney: “In terms of an increased public profile, I think all I can do is try to turn the spotlight to what is important. That can definitely benefit some clients. If I am at a work function and reporting of it focuses on irrelevant issues, there’s not much I can do about that. Since I can’t control it, my approach is just not to dwell on it and just get on with my work and my life and hope that attitudes will catch up. And I do actually feel like there is a female solidarity that has built up on these issues where other women will sort of call that out in a way that maybe wouldn’t have happened five or 10 years ago. So attitudes are changing.”
When I started this write-up, I thought that the most interesting or gossip-worthy quotes would be about her marriage, but this quote stopped me cold: “justice doesn’t just happen—you have to wage it; you have to bend the arc toward it.” That sh-t is profound. I sat here thinking about that for ten solid minutes. It’s not that the arc of history bends towards justice all on its own. There are people on the ground, people fighting in the streets, people lobbying and crying out and standing up, all to bend the arc. Amal is a real one.
Cover and IG courtesy of Time Magazine.
Great write up and give people an insight into what she does with out turning it into a clown show because she is married to a celebrity. i would have loved the same sense of gravitas she has for Meghan and Harry, let them do some good work. i look forward to reading more about Amal’s work in the future
Amal is very inspirational, I’ve followed her work to free journalists imprisoned in Egypt and get justice for Yazidi women. She has a lot of grace, and I think whenever the spotlight is on her, she does redirect it towards these causes. The comparison to Meghan and Harry is interesting. I’ve noticed recently that they aren’t doing the sort of “royal tour” type of public events (ex. visiting a charity) or sharing personal revelations, but more work related appearances/statements (NAACP grant, Women’s Day grants). That may lead towards being more of an Amal Clooney type of public figure, with that gravitas.
A wonderful profile on Amal Alamuddin Clooney. Her keynote quote is resonant and deep. I haven’t read a lot about her work previously. It’s great to see her work, and the work of other amazing women, being recognized.
In the same way that Meghan once said pre-Harry: “It’s possible to be feminine and a feminist– to embrace both,” Amal epitomizes that it’s possible to be a badass humanitarian warrior for justice, and a badass fashionista, and a fabulous mother, married to a famous actor & activist — to equally embrace multiple realities!
@Sarator I think you are talking apples and oranges. Both couples struck up a friendship, with Meghan and Amal reportedly having closely bonded once they met. The Clooneys attended the royal wedding, and George Clooney was the first public figure to speak out against the media attacks against Meghan in Fall 2018.
Keep in mind that the Sussexes have individually and collectively amassed an impressive body of good works. You need to tune out the tabloid nonsense against them. Their personal revelations during the Oprah interview were strategic, courageous, and necessary for M&H to try and leverage against insane BM attacks.
Both Sussexes already wield substantive gravitas, exemplified by their passion for service, which is what first brought them together. They weren’t selected to be part of the Time 100 honorees for superficial reasons.
Obviously, Meghan used to be an actor, so promoting herself back then was part of building her career, but she always possessed humanitarian goals. Similarly, George Clooney struggled to build a career in acting, but he also grew up with a social conscious. As well, once George became successful on a hit tv series, he began to focus on using his platform to highlight social causes. Meghan did the same prior to meeting Harry.
Prince Harry was born famous, and suffered grievously as a pre-teen when he lost his mother. He has overcome a lot, not the least being the vicissitudes of royal sparehood, in addition to agonizingly witnessing racially-motivated put-downs against his wife by members of the institution he grew up in. It took courage, faith, and resolve for Harry to lead his wife and son out of that toxic minefield.
I admire her very much. George is lucky to have found her (which I do think he realizes). Glad to see some positivity and focus on her actual job too – I can’t forget the brutal comments that posts on her would get back when the Clooneys were dating/getting married…
All the comments calling her a famewhore for wearing bright colors, liking fashion, and shit. I think people really thought she would quit her job and become a more elite version of a Real Housewife of Wherever.
I remember the comments on this blog were absolutely awful about her during their courtship and wedding. Calling her a rent-a-wife. Glad we’ve grown from it.
Because a woman cannot be smart, badass and beautiful at the same time. It’s to much, we need to reduce her – if she is beautiful she must be stupid, if she is smart it’s always nice for everyone to say “ah, good that she’s smart, she’s not that pretty”, if she’s both – she must be evil, cunning etc (see: Angelina Jolie). Mysogyny at it’s finest.
@penguin – Do you really think we’ve grown from it? Maybe I’m too cynical, but I just think the targets have shifted. There’s still awful stuff – my pet peeve is the nasty comments hidden behind faux-concern. Or “but this is a GOSSIP site so my jealous/prejudiced/sexist (etc) comments are TOTALLY FINE!”
@Xantha: Wow. Many of them probably didn’t even have the “excuse” of being religious either. That’s almost as ridiculous as being miserable enough to be upset about a pregnant woman touching her belly.
@Lady Baden-Baden: Good point.
Those comments came from a place of misogyny, racism, and jealousy. It was shameful how some people behaved towards her just because she married George Clooney.
I’m so glad other people brought this up! I thought I was the only one who remembered how awful people were to Amal back then, saying that she wasn’t really a top human rights lawyer, that her credentials had been inflated, blah blah blah. It’s so great to see her doing her great work in the world and showing those haters that she’s just as amazing as she appears to be.
I admire her a lot.
Same.
I do as well. Her comment about bending the arc was exceptionally striking, emotionally thought provoking too. Amal and her group of like minded women will chip away the façade’s of the guilty.
I appreciate that she and George are trying to make a difference. I was impressed when George was exposing the humanitarian crisis in Darfur many, many years ago. George highlighting that no voice was unworthy of hearing from.
Given their previous paths to crimes against humanity, especially women, makes their partnership all the more ideal.
I will forever be disappointed she changed her gorgeous, badass name Amal Alamuddin to white bread Clooney but she is fabulous in literally every other way. I love her outlook on the fame and family stuff and so greatly admire her work. Great choice, TIME (not always a given!)
Here here! I came from the Philippines and Maria Ressa is a world-renowned and respected journalist who continues to crusade for press freedom despite the constant bullying and harassment she experience from the Duterte administration. She is also the first person from my country to become a Nobel laureate so she is not just Amal Clooney’s client.
^^ Maria Ressa is outstanding and amazing! During the Sussexes’ Times100 Talks virtual event in August 2020, Prince Harry interviewed Maria Ressa (among other social activists and researchers). That was my first introduction to Maria Ressa!
I agree Kaiser, that line is deep. For too long the arc of justice has been bent towards wealthy, white and male, I hope that because of women like Amal we will live to see the arc of justice bend towards actual justice.
So at the time I am looking at this (because I know articles shift around on the feed) I get a kick out of the fact that Amal is above the Khloe as a new variant article—such a complete contrast and shows the utter vacuousness of Khloe.
I have been a huge George Clooney fan ever since I saw Return of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes on cable tv as a kid. ER inspired me to pursue medicine as a career. But if I ever follow through with my dream of vacationing in Lake Como and I run into to George and Amal? I’m going to lose my mind about meeting her, not him. She is so goddamned awesome!!!
A well-deserved accolade for Amal. I admire her unreservedly. George is lucky he found her, and he was able to give her a higher profile ( at some cost) although she was impressive before they met. I see a lot of parallels between the Clooneys and the Sussexes.
^^ I completely agree with you @Tamsin!
George really hit it out of the park with Amal. She’s in a class of her own.
It’s wonderful that she gets to do that kind of work. Who pays the fees though? I assume she works for these women pro bono. I don’t imagine her clients can really afford the kind of all-out amazing representation she provides. Does she work through some kind charity or foundation like Amnesty International?
I think that is the point of the foundation (though I admittedly do not really know). Regardless, she is really impressive and is rare example of someone who comes across as super intellectual, glamorous… and really nice.
Yes for justice and the work that goes into it. We need all the advocates and I very much appreciate the work she does. Thank you Amal and thank you for this write-up. I’m avoiding doom scrolling and sometimes that means missing other news.
“justice doesn’t just happen—you have to wage it; you have to bend the arc toward it.” That sh-t is profound. I sat here thinking about that for ten solid minutes. It’s not that the arc of history bends towards justice all on its own. Well done Kaiser, we come for the gossip and stay for the interesting perspective.
That stopped me as well. Most important line of the piece. And I appreciate bending the arc because waging any kind of ‘war’ isn’t always going to go in desirable ways. It’s a constant struggle to keep bending. We mustn’t lose our positions on that all important arc. Ever.
She is great! Always so smart and beautiful. Glad there are women like her in this world.
She is absolutely right. I always loved when George Clooney said right away, “She’s way smarter than me.” No shame there. The woman is amazing.
1968 MLK Jr:
“…the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice”, quote inspired by Theodore Parker’s 1852 speech
Amal is a serious, committed activist. Glad to see her on the cover.