Source: https://www.resolvingdiscoverydisputes.com/request-for-production-of-documents/arent-entitled-privilege-log/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 01:04:15+00:00

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Home » Aren’t I Entitled to a Privilege Log?
If a party is going to produce documents, then the responding party must comply with C.C.P.-§2031.220.
The expression “privilege log” is jargon, commonly used by courts and attorneys to express the requirements of the statute providing that the party who objects to a discovery demand for the inspection of a document based on privilege must support such objection with a specific identification of the document and a specific ground for objection. TRG Civil Litigation Series: California Discovery Citations (TRG 2018) §5:18 citing Hernandez v. Sup. Ct. (2003) 112 CA4th 285.
Specific privilege or work product protection claimed.
Any litigator should remember that the purpose of providing the “privilege log” is to provide a specific factual description of documents in aid of substantiating a claim of privilege especially for judicial review. See Wellpoint Health Networks, Inc. v. Superior Court (1997) 59 CA4th 110, 130 and Best Products, Inc. v. Superior Court (2004) 119 CA4th 1181. If you are in court and your claim of privilege is challenged, it is in your interest to make it easy for the court to understand why you withheld the document or made the redaction as it is your burden to substantiate the claim of privilege. California Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (TRG 2018) §8:1474.5 citing Lopez v. Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc. (2016 )246 CA4th 566, 596-597.
Remember as well that the existence of a document containing privileged information is not privileged. A party has no right to refuse to identify every responsive document even in a response to interrogatories. TRG Civil Litigation Series: California Discovery Citations (TRG 2018) citing Best Products, Inc. v. Superior Court, supra, at 1190.
Indeed, the Second District Court of Appeal in Riddell, Inc. v. Superior Court (2017) 14 CA5th 755, 772 admonished that a party may not raise “undue burden” to avoid the statutory requirement of providing a privilege log.
In mitigation, however, a failure to provide a privilege log with a timely response where the objections are raised ARE NOT grounds to waive any privileges pursuant to Best Products, Inc. v. Superior Court, supra., at 1187..
See Rivera, Cal. Prac. Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial FORMS (TRG 2018) Form 8:26.2 for an example of how a privilege log should look.
BEWARE: There is case law out there that says that a privilege log does not need be tendered at the time of the response and/or only if there is a court order. However, those cases predate the inclusion of paragraph C of C.C.P. §2031.240 enacted by the legislature in 2012 which does require the information to be included in the response.

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