This month Philadelphia VIP recognizes Diana P. Sisum, an associate of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. for her outstanding volunteer assistance to VIP clients.

Ms. Diana Sisum invested nearly two years and over 200 pro bono hours as a volunteer working to resolve a tax discrepancy on behalf of her VIP client. Diana’s client arrived in Philadelphia from Puerto Rico in 2005 to find a notice from the IRS asserting deficiencies in his tax return stemming from various sources of income that had been reported in Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Diana discovered that wages totaling upwards of $50,000 had been falsely claimed under her client’s social security number and that he and his wife had been victims of both tax fraud and identity theft.

Diana petitioned the IRS relentlessly on behalf of her client to keep the case from going to trial. She even sought out the employers to which the client’s wages had been attributed with photographs of her client to prove that he had never worked for or received the wages the IRS was auditing him for. Diana obtained the backing of attorneys from the IRS and succeeded in securing a tax refund on her client’s behalf.

Months after the case was officially closed Diana continues to work with her client to ensure that various extenuating issues are properly resolved and has since taken on a new pro bono case with VIP.

Thanks to Diana Sisum’s hard work clients who are vulnerable and exploited continue to receive equal access to legal justice. Philadelphia VIP honors her dedication this month and thanks all of its volunteers for their hard work and continuing support of pro bono and Philadelphia VIP.

Philadlephia VIP Profile [PDF]