London: The new "Mrs Clooney" has her first post-wedding job – and it's a doozy.
In tandem with fellow human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson, Amal Alamuddin is taking sides in one of the most controversial cultural arguments of recent history: she will try to win the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece.
The Elgin Marbles - classical sculptures from Athens' ancient Parthenon - are in London's British Museum. They were removed from the ruins on the Acropolis by British ambassador Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, in the early 19th century.
The move is now regarded as either a scandalous cultural heist, or a sensible protective measure, and has been fiercely debated. The poet Byron protested their removal at the time, musing "curst be the hour when from their isle they roved".
Ms Alamuddin's husband more recently dipped his toe in the old dispute. Earlier this year George Clooney said returning the Parthenon's classic sculptures to their ancient home "would perhaps be the right thing to do" (while promoting his movie The Monuments Men).
Greece launched a new campaign for the return of the Marbles on Monday.
Ms Alamuddin has reportedly been advising the Greek government on their cause, along with her colleagues at Doughty Street Chambers in London.
Next week she will fly to Athens with Australian expat Mr Robertson, to meet with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his cabinet.
It is Ms Alamuddin's first professional engagement since her star-studded wedding in Venice.
The team will outline possible legal measures that could force the return of the marbles.
In 2007 Mr Robertson successfully argued for the return of Tasmanian Aboriginal artefacts to Australia from the UK's Natural History Museum.
In his 2012 book Crimes Against Humanity he explained his theory of an international right to the return of cultural property.
"There is considerable support for the emergence of an international rule requiring the return of cultural treasures of great national significance," he wrote.
Such a rule would not result in the emptying of Western museums, he said, it would only apply to "unique" works such as the marbles – a "living symbol of history and culture" from the time of the birth of democracy. It would be based on international treaties and conventions that grant countries a "right to culture".
The marbles include 75 metres of friezes depicting mythological scenes, and 17 statues.
Until recently the UK argued there was no museum in Greece capable of looking after the marbles properly. Greece opened a new museum on the Acropolis in Athens in 2009 which was purpose-built to house them.
However, the UK still opposes the move - in response to Mr Clooney's comment, John Whittingdale, the chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, responded "he probably doesn't know the history of the Elgin Marbles and the legal entitlement that Britain has to them".
The UK argues that Lord Elgin was given permission to take the marbles by the Ottomans who ruled Athens at the time, and that they held global, not just Greek significance. They also point out that the marbles in London have been taken much better care of than the ones that remained exposed to modern pollution and decay in Athens.
