Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
An opportunity or ability to enter, approach, pass to and from, or communicate with a place, person, or thing.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Abigail Alvarez sued Astra Aerospace for breach of contract. Her counsel served requests seeking internal design files stored on a secure server. Astra refused production, claiming the files were irrelevant. The court ordered production after finding the materials relevant and proportional to the needs of the case, giving Abigail access to the information needed to prove her claims.
Anthony Arnold represented Ariana Azizi in a commercial dispute. An associate left a laptop containing client emails in an unlocked conference room overnight. Upon discovery, Anthony immediately encrypted the device and restricted server permissions. These steps prevented unauthorized access to information relating to the representation.
Arthur Abrams asked Ava Adebayo to sign a premarital agreement waiving spousal support rights. Ava had no independent counsel available before signing. A court later refused to enforce the agreement because Ava lacked access to independent legal representation at the time of execution.
Andre Antoine stored tools in a shared warehouse. Artemis Logistics stacked crates that completely blocked the only entrance to the storage area. Andre could no longer retrieve his equipment. The court held that Artemis had converted the tools by barring access to the chattel.
Aether Technologies transferred its interest in Argonaut Shipping to a third party. The transferee demanded copies of the partnership's financial records. The managing partners denied the request. The transferee possessed only the right to receive distributions and lacked access to records concerning the partnership's business.
After her spouse's death, Abigail Alvarez sought to enforce a waiver of her elective share rights. She had signed the agreement without consulting her own attorney. The probate court declined to enforce the waiver because Abigail lacked access to independent legal representation when the document was executed.
Courts weigh the importance of the issues, the amount in controversy, the parties' relative access to information, their resources, the importance of the discovery, and the burden versus benefit of production. Information need not be admissible to be discoverable if it meets these criteria.
A lawyer must make reasonable efforts to safeguard client information against inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure. This includes using secure systems, training staff, and promptly addressing any breaches that occur.
…their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions . . . , including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites”).[^maj-8] Congress recognized that certain substances, such as peyote,…
…deny disadvantaged citizens of Connecticut, those without either adequate knowledge or resources to obtain private counseling, access to medical assistance and up-to-date information in respect to proper methods of birth control. State v. Nelson , 126 Conn. 412, 11 A. 2d 856; State v. Griswold , 151 Conn. 544, 200 A. 2d…
…obtain where defamatory falsehood harmed a private individual. He noted that a private person has less likelihood "of securing access to channels of communication sufficient to rebut falsehoods concerning him" than do public officials and public figures, 403 U. S., at 70, and has not voluntarily placed himself in the…
…to exercise is, ipso facto , an infringement of that right. An example clarifies the point. We have held that not every ballot
…because the cases against them were based in part on illegal searches or seizures. "[A]ny rule of evidence that denies the jury access to clearly probative and reliable evidence must bear a heavy burden of justification, and must be carefully limited to the circumstances in which it will pay its way by deterring official…
An agreement is unenforceable if the party against whom enforcement is sought proves that person lacked access to independent legal representation and the agreement failed to include required notices or explanations of waived rights.
Conversion occurs when a defendant bars the possessor from accessing the chattel, among other acts that interfere with possession. The interference must be serious enough to deprive the owner of the right to use or control the property.
A transferee generally has no right to participate in management or to access partnership records or information concerning the business, except as otherwise provided by statute or agreement.
A waiver is unenforceable if the surviving spouse proves lack of access to independent legal representation at the time of execution, unless the agreement contained the required plain-language explanation of the rights being waived.