Nepal
Country Director
Ajay Shankar Jha joined the ILF in 2008 after eight years as a private advocate in the Janakpur area. Jha was called to the profession of public defense when he witnessed King Gyanendra’s government take control of the cabinet in 2005, throwing hundreds of innocent people into detention during the subsequent political turmoil. Since becoming a public defender, Jha takes pride in obtaining the release of innocent detainees from illegal detention. Jha has also served as the Chairman of the Janakpur Youth Club and was a founding member of the Mithila People Service Council. He obtained his Bachelor’s in Law from Tribhuwan University in 2000, and is a committee member of the Nepal Bar Association.
Surya Bahadur Pandey
Regional Director
Suya Bahadur Pandey, an attorney, has been a member of the ILF-Nepal team since August 2008. He previously served as the acting western regional director, based in Nepalgunj. He graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal in 1996.
C.K. Poudel
Managing Director
C.K. Poudel, the Managing Director for ILF-Nepal, has been a member of the ILF-Nepal team since June 2008. He graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 1993.
Abdul Aziz Alam
Janakpur District Director and Lawyer
Kopila Shrestha
Lawyer
Lawyer
Bimala Yadav, a staff attorney based in Kathmandu, has been a member of the ILF-Nepal team since August 2008. She graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 2000.
Rakesh Kumar Sharma
Lawyer
Rakesh Kumar Sharma, a staff attorney in the Nepalgunj office, has been a member of the ILF-Nepal team since August 2009. He graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 1997.
Bir Bhadur Khadka,
Lawyer
Bir Bhadur Khadka, a staff attorney in the Nepalgunj office, has been a member of the ILF-Nepal team since August 2009. He graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 2002.
Kamal Bhadur Ghising
Lawyer
Kamal Bhadur Ghising, a staff attorney in the Hetauda office, joined ILF-Nepal in September 2010. He graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 1994.
Chanchala Kaini
Lawyer
Chanchala Kaini, a staff attorney in the Hegauda office, joined ILF-Nepal in September 2010. She graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 2005.
Sashi Basnet
Lawyer
Lawyer
Dev Raj Pant, a staff attorney in the Kanchanpur office, joined ILF-Nepal in September 2010. He graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 2001.
Sanu Maiya Dangol
Lawyer
Sanu Maiya Dango, a staff attorney in the Kathmandu office, joined ILF-Nepal in September 2010. She received a law degree from Nepal Law Campus, Kathmandu, in 2001.
Susan Lee
International Program Advisor
Susan Lee, the international program advisor for ILF-Nepal, comes to Kathmandu from the Bronx, New York, where she worked for the past four years as a staff attorney for Bronx Defenders, a New York non-profit organization that provides free legal representation to criminal defendants. While at Bronx Defenders, Lee conducted numerous felony jury trials; handled all aspects of representation, including arraignments; testified in front of the New York City Council and organized Know-Your-Rights trainings for local high school students. Prior to the Bronx Defenders, Lee held internship positions with several legal justice nonprofits dealing in both juvenile and capital law. From October 2009 to February 2010, she mentored 12 Nepali attorneys in criminal defenses representation as the Kathryn Wadia International Fellow for the ILF. Lee is a graduate of Yale University and the New York University School of Law. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.
Rajendra Prasead
Lawyer
