Kim Ogg, Attorney-Client Privilege and the McAfee Case

When a potential client first calls a lawyer on the phone or comes into his office, there is no predicting where that case will lead. Whether it be civil, criminal, or family law, the variables are so vast that there are really only two things a lawyer can guarantee a client: his best effort, and complete confidentiality. The principle of Attorney-Client privilege is something that every lawyer and most non-lawyers understand. It is a sacred principle in the legal profession and one that is held above all others. A lawyer could arguably be forgiven more easily for doing a terrible job on a case than he could ever be for sharing privileged information. Client communications are privileged. Period. How serious is the duty of Attorney-Client confidentiality? If I were to represent a client and he fired me, I would be forbidden from turning over my file on the client to his new lawyer until I had confirmed that client's permission to do so. It is so serious that the confide