on a cold day in january president kerry kilcannon takes the oath of office and within days makes his first most important move appointing a new chief justice of the supreme court kilcannons choice is a female judge with a brilliant record and a secret while the senate spars over caroline masters nomination an inflammatory abortion rights case is making its way toward the judgeand will explode into the headlines suddenly the most divisive issue in america turns the presidents nomination into allout war and from judge masters to a conservative warhero senator facing a crisis of conscience and a fifteenyearold girl battling for her future no one will be safe protect and defend takes us on a riveting journey between what is legal what is right and the price of finally knowing the difference