In the legal world, attorney work product privilege is an important doctrine that protects communications between a lawyer and their client, as well as any information that is prepared in anticipation of litigation. This doctrine is based on the concept that any documents or emails produced between lawyer and client should remain confidential, and cannot be requested by opposing counsel or a court of law. Through this privilege, lawyers are able to freely work and communicate with their clients to advise them on their legal matters without fear of their privacy being violated.
What Does This Mean in Practice?
Let’s look at an example to see how this doctrine works and why it is so important. Let’s say an individual is being sued by an opposing party. As part of his defense, the target of the lawsuit retains a lawyer, who then prepares an email to the defendant summarizing his legal strategy and advice. That email would be considered a privileged document between the lawyer and his client, and thus cannot be requested by opposing counsel or a court of law. This serves to protect the privacy of the lawyer-client communication and allows the lawyer to freely provide their client with the best advice possible.
Conclusion
In summary, attorney work product privilege is an important legal doctrine that provides a shield of protection for lawyer-client communications. Through this privilege, lawyers are able to freely provide their clients with their best advice without fear of their privacy being violated. Without this doctrine, lawyers would be unable to adequately represent their clients in court, as their legal strategies would be exposed to opposing parties and the court.