How 'London's hottest barrister' is about to become the new Mrs Clooney: The rise and rise of Lebanese-born lawyer who is set to marry world's most eligible bachelor

She may not be as well-known as her new 'fiance' George Clooney, but top barrister Amal Alamuddin is an A-lister of the English justice system.
Born in war-torn Beirut to one of Lebanon's most famous women journalists, she has spent her life scaling the heights of the legal establishment.
Despite the peak of her career coming when she represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during his high-profile his extradition battle, she is perhaps best known for being voted the 'hottest barrister in London'.

Amal Alamuddin, the top British human rights lawyer now said to be engaged to George Clooney

Miss Alamuddin appearing on BBC news when she represented Yulia Tymoshenko, former Ukrainian Prime Minister, in a human rights claim

One of the most high-profile cases of her career so far is respresenting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. She is pictured (right) with the controversial figure outside the High Court in 2011

Miss Alamuddin (left) at a press conference with top QC Geoffrey Robertson and Eugenia Tymoshenko, daughter of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in 2012

Miss Alamuddin, 36, is the daughter of academic Ramzi Alamuddin and noted journalist, Baria, and her family fled war-torn Beirut when she was just two years old.
She was born in the Lebanese capital and her parents later had another daughter, Tala, and two sons Samer and Ziad.
In around 1987, the family moved to Gerrard’s Cross and Baria took up a job as the foreign editor of the Lebanese newspaper Al Hayat, a role she still holds today.
Miss Alamuddin's grandfather was a government minister and one of her cousins, Rima Alamuddin, was a renowned poet who was tragically shot dead, aged only 22, by a disgruntled boyfriend while on holiday in Lebanon from her studies at Cambridge University in the 1960s.

Miss Alamuddin is the daughter of journalist Baria Alamuddin (left) and academic Ramzi (right)

Baria Alamuddin (in white, standing at the back), with her husband Ramzi (sitting in front of her on the sofa). Amal is believed to be the the baby being held by her grandmother

Her mother was well known in Lebanon for her looks and a famous Lebanese poet, Said Akl, is said to have been moved to write a poem about her 'Greek Beauty' when she was in her 20s.
Miss Alamuddin's family are religious and belong to the Druze sect, an offshoot of Islam which is noted for its opposition to interfaith marriages.

Amal's father Ramzi, a retired professor of business studies at the American University of Beirut, is understood to be Druze, as was his father Khalil, who was a doctor and the Director of Beirut’s American University Hospital.
But Ramzi married outside the Druze faith and is believed to have met Amal’s mother Baria in a nightclub in Beirut. A family friend has said they believe she is 'not Druze'.

Her mother, pictured here with UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt as part of her role as chairwoman of the International Arab Charity, is a well-known journalist and campaigner

Her mother, Baria, pictured with Nicolas Parsons at The British Lebanon Gala Dinner held at the Intercontinental Hotel London

The family home in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, where Miss Alamuddin is believed to have grown up

After her family settled in a large £860,000 house in Buckinghamshire, Miss Alamuddin was educated in the UK and won a scholarship to St Hugh’s College, Oxford.
She achieved a 2:1 in Law in 2000 and then went on to the New York University School of Law before being called to the bar in 2010.
She has since risen to prominence in legal circles with remarkable speed, specialising in international law, human rights, criminal law and extradition.
In 2011, she was part of the team of barristers representing Julian Assange, who went into hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy after losing an appeal against his extradition to Sweden.
She has also represented Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister of Ukraine, in a human rights claim at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

George Clooney's girlfriend Amal Alamuddin in New York

Miss Alamuddin, pictured with Clooney in New York, is said to have turned down the Hollywood superstar's offer to take her out for dinner twice, saying she was too busy. She finally gave in on his third attempt

Clooney and Miss Alamuddin, who are now believed to be engaged, out and about in London last year

Miss Alamuddin is an adviser to former UN Secretary general Kofi Annan, who is now the special envoy to Syria, as well as an advisor to the King of Bahrain.
An active campaigner, she recently joined J.K. Rowling, Victoria Beckham and model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in writing to the Times about sexual violence in war zones.
Eminent lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, who is the joint head of Miss Alamuddin's Doughty Street Chambers, said: 'Amal Alamuddin is a brilliant and passionate defender of human rights who has put in the enormously hard work necessary to improving them. She is respected and admired by all her colleagues.'
Speaking of her engagement, the chambers' chief executive Robin Jackson, added: 'Amal has been utterly wonderful since she arrived in chambers. She brings a bright light to everything she is involved in, and I am so delighted at her happy news.'

The couple, now said to be engaged, during a safari-style holiday in Tanzania last month

It is reported Miss Alamuddin has been showing off an engagement-style ring during recent meals out with friends

Despite her work in court, Miss Alamuddin shot to prominence last year when she topped a chart of 'hottest barristers in London' on a law-blog, which also featured Ed Miliband's wife, Justine Thornton.
The blog described her as having 'achieved the seemingly unattainable ideal of contemporary femininity. She is both breathtakingly beautiful and formidably successful. Not only does she have huge warm eyes and silky, jet-black hair, but she speaks French and Arabic.'

She and Clooney, 52, were first spotted arm in arm at a dinner in October last year, having been brought together by a mutual interest in human rights issues.

A source said: 'Clooney asked her out for dinner and she put him off twice, saying she was too busy, before accepting the third time. She was operating on the lines of "treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen".'

In February, Oscar winner Clooney took her to the White House for a private screening of his latest movie, Monuments Men, in a group that included his parents Nick and Nina Clooney.

The couple, pictured with friends, have met each others' parents and have been on a series of holidays together in recent months

Miss Alamuddin has campaigned about human rights in Syria, an issue of interest to Clooney

It's not known whether Miss Alamuddin met President Obama at the exclusive event, but Clooney was pictured standing by the US leader in a picture taken at the event.

Clooney and Miss Alamuddin were then photographed on holiday in Tanzania last month, decked out in Safari gear.

After Tanzania, the couple relaxed in the Seychelles and visited New York for a romantic stay at the Carlyle Hotel. They are then said to have flown out to Dubai together, where George met Miss Alamuddin’s family.

When asked about the engagement yesterday, her mother said: ‘I’m so sorry but I can’t comment. She is my daughter and you understand it is very private.’

Clooney was previously married to actress Talia Balsam and has said that he would never marry again, although he has dated a string of beautiful women including Lisa Snowdon, Stacy Keibler and Elisabetta Canalis.

As recently as 2012 his sister Adelia Zeidler said: 'George will probably not get married. He decided that he could have the career or he could have a family.'

DM