Walmart Inc. has moved for summary judgment in 1:24-cv-04562 in the Northern District of Illinois, asking the court to resolve the case in its favor without a trial. A summary judgment motion is one of the most consequential filings in civil litigation: it tests whether the nonmoving party has enough admissible evidence to create a genuine dispute of material fact. If not, the court can enter judgment as a matter of law.

At this stage, Walmart is likely arguing that discovery has closed and the evidentiary record does not support one or more essential elements of the plaintiff’s claims.