⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

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Stramaski v. Lawley — 5th Cir. (Aug 5, 2026)

No. 25-20348 Argued August 5, 2026 Published August 11, 2026; updated August 21, 2026

The Fifth Circuit hears Stramaski versus Lawley. Eva Stramaski alleges that Mark Lawley fired her after she insisted on being paid on time, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act's ban on retaliation. The question is whether qualified immunity is available as a defense to her claim against Lawley personally. Qualified immunity generally shields public officials from civil liability unless they violate clearly established law. Dimitri Rocha represents Lawley and will argue that the defense applies and requires dismissal. Adam Greenfield represents Stramaski and will argue that the Act's text and history do not support adding that defense.

Stramaski v. Lawley (No. 25-20348) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argued August 5, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/OralArgRecordings/25/25-20348_08-05-2026.mp3
Argument listing — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-recordings?from=2026-08-04&to=2026-08-11
Argument calendar — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/court-calendars/sitting?d=2026-08-05
Prior opinion — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/20/20-20607-CV0.pdf
Report and recommendation — U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-txsd-4_20-cv-00156/pdf/USCOURTS-txsd-4_20-cv-00156-2.pdf
Order adopting report and recommendation — U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-txsd-4_20-cv-00156/pdf/USCOURTS-txsd-4_20-cv-00156-3.pdf
29 U.S.C. § 215 — GovInfo:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title29/pdf/USCODE-2024-title29-chap8-sec215.pdf

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