Amanda M. Ghannam is a trial attorney representing workers in employment disputes, whistleblowers, survivors of sexual abuse, and victims of police misconduct
in negotiations and lawsuits in state and federal court. Amanda specializes in advocacy for clients experiencing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace. She has secured numerous settlements for clients who were wrongfully terminated and has a record of success defending employees accused of breaching non-competition agreements.
Amanda has years of experience
representing victims and survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment. Amanda approaches her cases with a combination of expertise, compassion, and fierce advocacy to help her clients obtain not just compensation, but accountability and closure. Amanda also specializes in First Amendment free speech rights.
Amanda earned her Juris Doctor with a specialization in Labor, Work, and Income
from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts. Amanda then spent five years at Michigan employment and civil rights firms before becoming a founding partner of Schulz Ghannam PLLC.
Amanda received the Detroit Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in 2022 and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan - Wayne’s Honorable Kirsten Frank Kelly Award in 2024. She was named to Thomson Reuters SuperLawyer’s “Rising Stars” list in 2023 and 2024.
Professional Associations
Michigan State Bar Labor and Employment Section
Michigan Association for Justice
Women Lawyers Association of Michigan
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Arab American Bar Association, Michigan Chapter
Detroit Bar Association
Legal Network for Gender Equity
National Lawyers’ Guild, Detroit/Michigan Chapter
Palestinian American Bar Association
Bar Admissions
State of Michigan
U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court - Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court - Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court - Northern District of Ohio
U.S. District Court - Northern District of Indiana
Speaking Engagements and Published Works
Supreme Court of Michigan Amicus Curiae Brief: on behalf of the Michigan Association for Justice in McMillon v. City of Kalamazoo, discussing the important issue of shortened statutes of limitations in Michigan employment rights cases - June 2022
Bender’s Labor & Employment Bulletin Article: “Supreme Court to Decide Constitutionality of Travel Ban” - March 2018
New York Attorney General’s Office: presentation to 2023 intern class on civil rights cases and practice - June 2023
Spectrum Magazine/Imago Gei podcast: interview regarding LGBTQ+ employment rights in religious institutions - March 2022
Michigan Coalition for Human Rights event: “Candid Conversations: A Youth Activism Perspective” - December 2020
The University of Chicago: guest lecturer in Human Rights - October 2023, January 2024, April 2024, October 2024
Arab-American National Museum: “Know Your Rights in the Workplace” presentation - October 2023
New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association: “Do’s and Don’t of Social Activism as an Employee” - November 2023
National Lawyers Guild: “Faculty & Staff Solidarity: Activism & Academic Freedom Amidst Campus Repression” - December 2023
The University of Michigan: “Academic Freedom and Free Speech” - February 2024
Palestinian-American Bar Association: “Know Your Rights in Employment and Education” - April 2024
New York State Bar Association: “Taking the Weight Off Your Shoulders: Understanding Body Size Discrimination” - May 2024
Awards and Honors
Detroit Bar Association - 2022 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
2023 Thomson Reuters SuperLawyers Rising Star
2024 Thomson Reuters SuperLawyers Rising Star
Arab America Foundation - 2024 “40 Under 40” Award
Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (Wayne County) - 2024 Honorable Kirsten Frank Kelly Award