Amal Clooney: "I believe that justice must be fought for – it doesn't happen automatically"

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney in a VOGUE interview.

As one of the most successful human rights lawyers of our time, Amal Clooney has earned a reputation as an uncompromising defender of those who have suffered systematic injustice—particularly women and girls who have been victims of sexual violence. "I am continually deeply moved by the courage of those who bring the truth to light—even at a high personal cost: journalists who dare to speak truth to power, young women who refuse to be silenced," Clooney told British Vogue.

In 2019, she and her husband George founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which provides free legal aid in over 40 countries. What is the greatest challenge in her fight for justice ? "Indifference," she says. "There will always be injustice, cruelty, and abuse of power," she continues. "But if the good people—those who disagree with what's happening—remain silent, it becomes very difficult to change anything. If there is more cowardice than courage in the centers of power—governments, corporations—it is extremely difficult to improve the system," she continues. "I believe that justice must be fought for—it doesn't happen automatically."

In conversation with human rights lawyer Amal Clooney about justice and indifference

In an interview with VOGUE, Amal Clooney talks about what she's currently working on, how she manages to balance work and private life – and where she's currently drawing hope from.

Hello Amal, what are you working on at the moment?

I am currently representing Maria Ressa , a journalist facing life imprisonment in the Philippines simply for doing her work . I recently filed a case before the International Court of Justice seeking justice for the victims of the Myanmar genocide. And I am representing 871 victims of ISIS in a case in the Eastern District of New York. My clients in this case include Nadia Murad—a Yazidi survivor of sexual violence who later won the Nobel Peace Prize—and it is the first case to offer victims of the ISIS genocide a chance at life-changing compensation.

I'm also working on the programs I launched at the Clooney Foundation for Justice . We run a global legal aid program for women and journalists that now operates in over 40 countries. Our work has already led to the release of dozens of journalists and provided free legal assistance to thousands of women victims of violence, child marriage, or discrimination. But we're always looking for ways to expand our impact. This October, we're excited to launch the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice , a new partnership between the Clooney Foundation and Oxford University that will use AI to improve access to justice.