Also known as: protects · protected · protecting · protection · protections · protector · protectors · safeguard · legal protection
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
To take measures to shield a legally recognized interest or person from harm, loss, or adverse legal consequences. The term encompasses both affirmative steps to preserve rights and the legal recognition that certain interests merit safeguards against invasion or impairment.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Pablo Perez buys land from a seller who had previously granted an unrecorded easement to a neighbor. Pablo pays value, lacks actual notice of the easement, and records his deed first. The recording act shields Pablo from the neighbor's claim, giving him clear title because the statute protects subsequent purchasers without notice who record their interest.
Pierce Patterson, a state employee, faces termination without any opportunity to respond to charges of misconduct. The Fourteenth Amendment protects Pierce by requiring the state to provide notice and a hearing before depriving him of his property interest in continued employment.
Phoebe Park holds a recorded easement over land that is the subject of a quiet-title suit between two other parties. Because disposing of the action without Phoebe would impair her ability to protect the easement, the court must join her as a required party under Rule 19.
Paula Pierce's lawyer inadvertently produces a privileged email during discovery. Because Paula took reasonable steps to prevent the disclosure and promptly sought its return, Rule 502 protects the privilege and prevents waiver in the federal proceeding.
Pedro Pacheco leaves a firm that represented a client in a matter substantially related to a new client's adverse interests. The firm protects the former client's confidential information by screening the remaining lawyers who possess material knowledge, allowing the firm to represent the new client.
Portia Price's negligent driving causes a collision that damages Precision Tools' delivery truck. The law holds Portia responsible because her conduct invaded a legally protected interest in the truck's physical condition, making her liable for the resulting harm.
Recording acts protect subsequent purchasers who take without notice of unrecorded interests and who record their own interest. A purchaser is charged with constructive notice only of instruments in the chain of title. This system governs priority among competing conveyances and mortgages.
The Fourteenth Amendment protects citizens from state laws that abridge privileges or immunities, deprive persons of life, liberty, or property without due process, or deny equal protection of the laws.
…violated do the laws afford him a remedy? The essence of civil liberty consists in the right of every individual to claim the protection of the laws whenever he receives an injury. It is a general rule that where there is a legal right there is also a legal remedy by suit or action at law. The government of the United States…
…privacy, as such. "[The Fourth] Amendment protects individual privacy against certain kinds of governmental intrusion, but its protections
…laws requiring or permitting segregation according to race. This segregation was alleged to deprive the plaintiffs of the equal protection
…in the way could not be justified. Against this interest of the State we must balance the individual interest sought to be protected
…be shared with the Executive Branch. The President's counsel urges two grounds for an absolute privilege: (1) the need for protection
A court must protect an absent person's interest when disposing of the action without that person would as a practical matter impair or impede the person's ability to protect the interest.
Rule 502 protects the privilege when the disclosure is inadvertent, the holder took reasonable steps to prevent disclosure, and the holder promptly took reasonable steps to rectify the error.
Information protected by Rules 1.6 and 1.9(c) that is material to the matter remains protected, and the firm may not represent adverse parties unless the conditions for screening are met.
A legally protected interest is one whose invasion by tortious conduct makes the actor responsible for resulting harm unless a defense applies.