Human rights lawyer for Doughty Street Chambers.
Key Achievements:
- Represented Armenia in recognition of the Armenian Genocide, against Dogu Perincek, a Turkish politician convicted of genocide denial and racial discrimination.
- Senior advisor to Kofi Annan, the UN’s Envoy on Syria
- Counsel to the 2013 Drone Inquiry into the use of drones in counter-terrorism operations
- Notable clients include: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, former prime minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko
Follow Their Path: To follow Clooney’s path exactly, you’d have to study your law degree at the University of Oxford, which you can find a handy guide to here.
Already at university? Your best bet is to apply for the LLM (New York, anyone?), although the fees might well be a deterrent.
Nothing is stopping you becoming a hotshot human rights lawyer, however. Your best bet is to apply for work experience and mini pupillages in chambers that specialise in international or human rights law.
If you’re really desperate to follow in Clooney’s footsteps, you’ll also apply for one of Doughty Street Chambers’ two elusive pupillage slots.
And don’t forget some pro bono work experience – find out more with our Ultimate Guide to Pro Bono Work Experience.
Top Quote: “If you are a lawyer, and you want to take on easier cases, you can prosecute traffic violations or something. You’d have a very high rate of success, and you probably could sleep more easily at night. But that’s not what drives me.”
