Cleary Gottlieb pro bono client Ms. L was granted political asylum by Immigration Judge Patricia Rohan. Ms. L, who fled Chinese-ruled Tibet in August 2002, had suffered persecution at the hands of Chinese authorities on account of her Buddhist religion and her political activities in support of Tibetan independence. The decision paves the way for further derivative applications by her family so that she might be reunited with her husband and three children who currently live in Nepal.
Cleary Gottlieb lawyers represented Ms. L after her application was referred to Judge Rohan following an initial interview with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Cleary Gottlieb team prepared Ms. L’s affidavit, a legal brief, extensive country conditions documentation and declarations for corroborative witnesses (including a monk in Nepal). The team also coordinated a psychiatric evaluation and affidavit from Dr. Sharon Coleman of Doctors of the World in support of Ms. L’s petition. At the hearing, Cleary Gottlieb conducted an extensive direct examination of the client to allow her to present her story to the court.