In 2011, Lawless represented Marvin Manns, an African American water maintenance worker who sued the city of Decatur for discrimination after he was terminated. Manns refused to sign an agreement that gave him a lower pay but allowed him to bypass civil service selection rules.[4][5]
Federal judicial service
On September 2, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Lawless to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.[3] On September 6, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Lawless to the seat to be vacated by Judge Sue E. Myerscough, who announced her intent to assume senior status upon confirmation of a successor.[6] On November 15, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7] On December 8, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 15–7 vote.[8] On January 3, 2023, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. She was renominated on January 23, 2023.[9] On February 9, 2023, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 14–7 vote.[10] On March 1, 2023, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–43 vote.[11] On March 2, 2023, her nomination was confirmed by a 51–41 vote.[12] She received her judicial commission on March 9, 2023.[13]
Notable rulings
In July 2024, Lawless dismissed a federal lawsuit filed against the Springfield, Illinois, police department by the father of a deceased two-year-old girl. The man accused Springfield police officers of violating his constitutional rights and Illinois state law during a traffic stop where his daughter's ashes, contained in an urn, were tested for drugs.[14]
