Opinion ID: 1122491
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: First Principles

Text: Because our approach focuses on the substance of the attorney-client privilege, we state some first principles. Under the attorney-client privilege, unless a client consents, a lawyer may not be required to disclose communications made by the client to the lawyer or advice given to the client in the course of professional employment. A.R.S. § 12-2234 (1982) (civil actions). See also A.R.S. § 13-4062(2) (1989) (criminal proceedings). The privilege is intended to encourage the client in need of legal advice to tell the lawyer the truth. Unless the lawyer knows the truth, he or she cannot be of much assistance to the client. Thus, the privilege is central to the delivery of legal services in this country. See State v. Holsinger, 124 Ariz. 18, 22, 601 P.2d 1054, 1058 (1979) (The reason for the privilege is not to protect the client, but to encourage free exchange of information between the attorney and the client and to promote the administration of justice.) The privilege is not without its costs. It can interfere with the search for truth when, for example, the client cannot remember that which it told its lawyer. One would like to go to the lawyer and ask. See generally 1 McCormick on Evidence § 72, at 269 (John W. Strong ed., 4th ed. 1992); 8 John H. Wigmore, Evidence § 2291, at 554 (McNaughten rev. ed. 1961). Of course, there must be an attorney-client relationship before the privilege exists. Alexander v. Superior Court, 141 Ariz. 157, 162, 685 P.2d 1309, 1314 (1984) (party divulges secrets to lawyer to secure advice). And, to be privileged, the communication must be made to or by the lawyer for the purpose of securing or giving legal advice, must be made in confidence, and must be treated as confidential. Wigmore, supra, § 2292, at 554. See United States v. Kovel, 296 F.2d 918, 922 (2d Cir.1961) (What is vital to the privilege is that the communication be made in confidence for the purpose of obtaining legal advice from the lawyer. ) (Friendly, J.). Thus, not all communications to one's lawyer are privileged. Plaintiffs have argued here that under Rule 26.1, Ariz.R.Civ.P., the new disclosure rule, factual communications are no longer privileged. This is not the case. We must distinguish between facts, which the client must disclose with or without a lawyer, and the communication of those facts by a client to a lawyer on a confidential basis when seeking legal advice. The privilege does protect disclosure of the communication but does not protect disclosure of the underlying facts by those who communicate with a lawyer. That is to say, a client who has a duty to disclose facts in discovery or otherwise is not relieved of that duty simply because those same facts have been communicated to a lawyer. Upjohn notes the distinction well. 449 U.S. at 395-96, 101 S.Ct. at 685-86 (The privilege only protects disclosure of communications; it does not protect disclosure of the underlying facts by those who communicated with the attorney.). Clients and their lawyers have and continue to have an obligation to respond truthfully to discovery requests seeking facts within their knowledge. [1]