Rocky Copley, Esq. (To the Court): "These are just men who get together and discuss spirìtual concepts. That is it. It's like the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama, for their religion.
I'm a little puzzled why the Dalai Lama defense would be a sound angle of argument. The Dalai Lama is an actual person, and I get the impression that Watchtower lawyers were trying to argue that the Governing Body is simply a spiritual entity that can't be brought to court.
On another note, Watchtower has made many remarks regarding the Dalai Lama. To them he is a substitute for God; they have called him a 'god-king,' and a 'god among men who is deified and reverenced.' Here are 2 quotes from the Watchtower, but there are many more.
"...Tibet’s exiled Buddhist “god-king,” the Dalai Lama." (Watchtower 8-1-1990, page 22)
"...many men and women alive today are raised to the position of gods among men; they are deified and reverenced and hailed as saviors and world benefactors. This goes not only for political figures...but also for religious figures such as...the Dalai or Grand Lama of Tibet." (Watchtower 11-1-1951, page 656)
By making the Dalai Lama argument, the lawyers were acknowleging that the Governing Body is a god-like entity that is to be deified, reverenced, and viewed as a savior. We all knew that the GB has made itself a substitute for God and Christ (savior), but to see Watchtower admit it is kind of satisfying.