Amal Clooney may be married [1] to one of Hollywood's biggest actors, but she is so much more than just George Clooney [2]'s wife. Amal is a human rights lawyer [3], a professor at Columbia Law School, and an overall badass with a heart of gold. Not only has Amal made it her mission to help refugees all around the world, but in 2016, she and George started the Clooney Foundation For Justice as a way to fight "for the rights of individuals unfairly targeted by oppressive governments through the courts."

While speaking at this year's Watermark Conference For Women [4], Amal opened up about why the cause is so close to her heart. "People don't choose to become a refugee, they're just victims of war and they are victims of circumstance," she explained. "They were born in the wrong place at the wrong time and I think how we respond to that is a test of our humanity." Take a look at all the ways Amal is making an impact in the world — and inspiring us to do the same.

Clooney Foundation For Justice

Amal and George created the organisation [5] in 2016 to stand up for individuals who are unfairly targeted around the globe. A year later, the foundation joined forces with Southern Poverty Law [6] to combat hate groups in the US following the deadly violence that took place in Charlottesville, VA. "What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate," George and Amal said in a statement. "Amal and I wanted to add our voice (and financial assistance) to the ongoing fight for equality. There are no two sides to bigotry and hate."

Through the foundation, George and Amal have also partnered with UNICEF to aid Syrian refugees with educational opportunities and launched Trialwatch, an initiative focused on responding to trials around the world [7] that violate human rights.

The Amal Clooney Scholarship

In 2015, Amal teamed up with 100 Lives [8] to create a scholarship for young Lebanese women [9]. Every year, the scholarship allows one female student from Lebanon to attend WC Dilijan College, a coed boarding school in Armenia, to enroll in a two-year international baccalaureate program. "This scholarship will give young women from Lebanon the opportunity of a lifetime," Amal said in a previous statement. "Cross-cultural learning and studying abroad can be transformative. I am grateful to 100 Lives for helping open doors for these bright and talented young women."

The first scholarship was awarded to Pamela Tebchrany, a Lebanese student who graduated top of her class and who will use it to pursue her career in human rights and women's equality.