Tenzin Sampho, CEO/ President
Tenzin works closely with asylum applicants in the tri-state area, especially disadvantaged and low-income refugees who may not be able to afford legal representation. Drawing upon his years of experience as a courtroom translator, Tenzin acts as both adviser and facilitator, guiding applicants through the sometimes labyrinthine application process. Tenzin also connects refugee families with legal, medical, and other services. A graduate of the University of Washington, Tenzin also attended the University of Tibet in Lhasa, Tibet, and studied in Cambridge, England. A long time advocate for international human rights, Tenzin also founded the Tibetan Association of Washington in Seattle in 1992. Visit: www.washingtontibet.org
Robert Thurman, Director
Robert Thurman holds the chair in Buddhist Studies at Columbia University. Educated at Philips Exeter and Harvard, he studied Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism for almost thirty years as a personal student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has produced numerous books on Buddhist philosophy and practice, Tibetan art and culture, as well as scholarly translations of major Buddhist texts, and lectures widely all over the world. Professor Thurman frequently provides expert testimony in asylum cases regarding conditions in Tibet and the plight of the Tibetan people under Chinese rule.
Caleb Stevens, Director
After graduating from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2006, Caleb worked as an associate in the New York office of DLA Piper, where he practiced general commercial litigation. Caleb also works pro bono on matters concerning asylum law and public international law. He has recently completed a Masters in International Studies, International Law specialization, at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.
Michael Barkow, Director
Michael Barkow, an expert in promotion marketing law, represents numerous corporations and sales promotion agencies. His expertise includes the application of federal and state trade regulations, and trademark and copyright issues. Currently with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, Michael is a frequent guest lecturer at the Promotion Marketing Association, as well as other industry conferences. He also writes legal columns for promotion industry publications. Michael has successfully represented numerous refugees seeking asylum since 2004.
