Protections for writers of recommend letters I was reading online some of the legal troubles in the US that can occur to recommend letter writers.  I imagine that many of us are familiar with (at least some of the) FERPA regulations.  We must obtain (in writing) a signed permission to use grades, and (at least according to one place I found) we are also required to inform the letter receiver not to convey that information to a third party without written consent.
At many receiving institutions, during the submission process there is a (sometimes large) legal disclaimer.  At some institutions, this includes something to the effect of &quot;Law prevents us from keeping your letter confidential.  We will protect your identity, unless a court says we cannot.  etc...&quot;
Some employers keep a permanent file containing the recommend letters.  As we all know, details over time become fuzzy, and so this seems to leave a letter writer open to litigation if details in the letter are disputed (by either a disgruntled employer or the one we write the letter for).
What protections exist for those who write recommend letters?  In particular, can letter writers give a time limit to how long an employer may keep a letter?  Apparently, in countries outside the US, letters of recommend are very short, to avoid legal issues.
On mathjobs.org letter writers can give an expiration date for their letters.
I have no idea what would happen if a disgruntled applicant took some sort of legal action to obtain a copy of those letters.
To the best of my understanding (I'm not a lawyer, etc.), in the U.S., in academic settings, there are no genuine protections for letter-writers. Rather, if/when everyone behaves civilly, there's simply no issue.
This is why I try to demur when asked to write letters in situations that make me uneasy, especially when I feel compelled to say &quot;I'm sorry, I'm not confident that I can write you a helpful letter. Perhaps someone else can do better.&quot;