Amal Clooney gets cases thanks to husband George Clooney: Edward Faulks

Close on the heels of a tweet by Associated Press on Amal Clooney, which got them into trouble after being branded “sexist” in August, Edward Faulks QC, a justice minister, commented and said that the human rights lawyer gets the high-profile cases because of her Hollywood actor husband George Clooney.

Faulks, whose brother is Birdsong author Sebastian Faulks was attending a book launch in London when he made the statement, Telegraph UK reported. “I’m sure she gets such high-profile cases and everyone wants her because she’s married to George Clooney. And by employing her they’ll give publicity to their case,” he said. Faulk added that even Cherie Blair being married to Tony Blair gave her career a boost.

Observed around the world over for her impeccable sense of style, Amal has been pictured in designer outfits during her cases. In one instance, she was photographed in a visit to Maafusi prison in Maldives to meet her client, former president of the island nation Mohamed Nasheed. Her sartorial choices, such as a £925 (AUD 635.40) red Dolce and Gabbana dress she wore to visit her client in prison, has not gone unnoticed by her contemporaries in the legal profession.

She is currently part of the high-profile legal team representing Nasheed. Her visit to the honeymoon island last week came days after his local lawyer, Mahfooz Saeed, was stabbed by an unknown attacker in Male. Amal's visit to the country was to press for the release of the former leader, who was sentenced to a 13-year imprisonment in March.

Nasheed was elected president in 2008, and was sentenced in March under a tough anti-terror law. His trial was criticised by the United Nations, US and human rights groups, which termed it as “deeply flawed”.

The barrister also visited Sri Lanka with her team and talked to the media in Colombo in an effort to draw more attention to the case.

Jonathan Ames, editor of law website Legal Cheek, said that there are plenty of clever lawyers with considerably more impressive human rights records than Amal. However, he added that her intellectual and professional muscle as well as her sex appeal are nothing compared to the most important fact of her being married to Clooney.

However, Geoffrey Robertson QC, also a renowned human rights barrister and the head of Doughty Street Chambers where Amal has worked since 2010 dismissed the comment, saying that it was “demonstrably false.” He also praised Amal’s “exceptional” work in international law for over 15 years, adding that she has worked for 10 years in the US before joining the firm, Independent UK reported.

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