Huntsville John Lewis Legal Fellow, Tamara Imam, has been working hard to keep people housed during the pandemic. Despite being early in her career, Imam has found great success in the courtroom and her ability to resolve client issues.
A couple who reached out to LSA after facing eviction were able to stay in their home thanks to Imam’s ability to demonstrate the eviction notice was legally deficient.
Imam has also recently won two cases in circuit court. In one case, she represented a client who was unemployed before the pandemic and struggled to access necessary relief resources. The client was originally a longtime employee at a local business. When her employer brought back a staff member who was previously fired for inappropriate behavior and harassment of the client, the client felt the need to leave for her safety.
She attempted to file for unemployment compensation in December 2019 but was denied benefits. The client found a new job but was then let go because of the pandemic. Her previous disqualification for unemployment compensation prevented her from receiving pandemic unemployment assistance. By the time she reached out to LSA she had exhausted her administrative appeals. Imam won her case in circuit court and the client received both unemployment compensation and pandemic unemployment assistance.
In another case, Imam represented a client in a CDC eviction moratorium case resulting in the judge granting the protection for the client. After the landlord failed to appear at the review hearing for a second time, Imam successfully motioned to dismiss the eviction case entirely. She then advised the client on available relief resources and how to access them so the client could get caught up on owed back rent.
