Amal Clooney is a renowned human rights lawyer and pretty much an all-round inspiration for many young women around the world.

This week she shared some of her legal wisdom with one lucky law student from Galway.

​Loughrea native Catrina Chahin was lucky enough to meet her idol at the September session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The 23-year old has just finished her masters in International Human Rights Law at NUIG.

Amal was on hand to give a talk on fair trial rights and issues surround judicial accountability.

Catrina said that she had a chance to witness first-hand how Amal takes the time to speak with young lawyers about their goals. She told UTV Ireland:

“I was asking her how to best go about practicing law in the international sphere and she was just saying to be determined and don't be deterred by statistics which obviously make it seem very difficult.”

Catriona wants to go on and practice law internationally and was looking for some guidance. Amal told her not to be deterred by the statistics which make it seem so difficult.

"She recommend that I qualify as a lawyer, solicitor or barrister, while I'm still in the academic mind-set basically and then I can always go back to working for NGOs.”

While it may seem that Amal, who specialises in public international law, international law and human rights was someone who had her sights set on success from a young age, Catriona says it was the opposite.

“She told me that when she finished university she never had a 10 year plan and that you never know what opportunities will arise.”