Standing requires a party to have a legally protectable interest at what time?

• A. At the time of decision.
• B. Only after discovery.
• C. At any time during the proceedings.
• D. At the time of filing.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that standing is tested at the outset of litigation. A plaintiff must show a legally protectable injury in fact exists at the time the complaint is filed, meaning there is a real, concrete dispute the court can resolve. If standing could be created later—in discovery, at the decision, or at any point during the proceedings—the court might end up deciding disputes with no real controversy or with injuries that only appear after the suit has started. Allowing standing to depend on events after filing would undercut Article III’s requirement of a justiciable case or controversy. Therefore, the proper rule is that a party must have a legally protectable interest at the time of filing.