Meet the future Mrs Clooney

Women around the world love to hate Barrister Amal Alamuddin these days. For over two decades they were content that even if they couldn’t get hitched to George Clooney, at least no one else would, thanks to the actor’s vow to never get married again after a catastrophic marriage in 1993. And then came along Alamuddin, who made the hunk change his mind in just a couple of months.

But if the 52-year-old actor thinks he is in for the easy life and home-cooked meals, he might be disappointed as 36-year old Alamuddin redefines the word busy.

A graduate of Oxford University and New York University’s School of Law, Alamuddin hails from a “very wealthy and distinguished” Lebanese family based out of Beirut. Her illustrious clients include the King of Bahrain, former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuila Tymonshenko, Enron, financial firm Arthur Anderson and Wikileaks’ Julian Assange, who sought her opinion during his fight against an extradition to Sweden after he was accused of rape.

Alamuddin is also a special advisor to several governments in matters related to international law - serving as an expert on the impact of drone warfare, counter-terrorism and basic human rights. And it doesn’t stop there. In the Middle East, she is the joint special envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League on Syria and is also the legal adviser to the head of the UN Commission probing the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Hariri.

There’s much glamour too (Mr Clooney certainly picked right). Alamuddin — fluent in English, French and Arabic — was once named London’s “hottest barrister” by a legal blog based in Britain, which described her as “both breathtakingly beautiful and formidably successful”.

In fact, the whole Hollywood engagement would have slipped past the tabloids if it weren’t for her overzealous yet proud current employers, Doughty Street Chambers. The company, widely considered to be responsible for confirming the engagement, in an email offered “their best wishes and congratulations to Ms Amal Alamuddin... and Mr George Clooney on their engagement to be married”.

One of their employees told DC, “We have sent out a press release and that’s pretty much it. She’s a delightful woman and we’re all obviously, very proud.”

And Clooney’s parents are delighted. Broadcaster father Nick was, according to reports, unable to contain his joy. “We are thrilled for them and we love Amal. We think they’re a wonderful match. We also have had an opportunity to interact with this wonderful young woman and these are two great people,” he was quoted as saying.

So hush-hush was the engagement that even the actor’s aunt, Starla Clooney, was not in the know.

“George was going to be a bachelor his whole life. This woman must be exceptionally special for him to take the plunge and he hasn't even seen her very long,” she said.

Exceptional is probably the word. Those close to Clooney say that the actor, who has been part of reconciliation and reconstruction efforts in the Sudan, must have fallen head over heals for Alamuddin. She fits a particular profile and the conversation revolving around geopolitics and the best lobster in town must have definitely swayed Clooney.

And from an Indian perspective (apologies to those frowning), the ladki’s family is accomplished in their own right. Alamuddin’s mother, Baria Alamuddin, is an award-winning journalist who has been compared to Elizabeth Taylor, as far as looks are concerned. She is also the editor of Lebanese newspaper Al Hayat and is a regular on US news channels for Middle-East inputs.