This is the 10188th most frequent Polish word.
broniący
Defending.
Here, 'broniący' serves to describe the lawyer (subject) actively involved in the act of defending.
Prawnik broniący klienta przed sądem wykazywał się dużą wiedzą.
The lawyer defending the client in court demonstrated considerable knowledge.
In this instance, 'broniący' refers to the firefighters engaged in the process of protecting the forest.
Strażacy broniący las przed pożarem pracowali bez wytchnienia.
The firefighters defending the forest from the fire worked tirelessly.
In this sentence, 'broniący' is used as a present participle describing the subject 'Żołnierz' showing him engaging in the action of defending.