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5 Fed. Cts. L. Rev. 1 (2011-2012)

handle is hein.journals/fecourtl5 and id is 1 raw text is: THE FEDERAL COURTS LAW REVIEW Volume 5, Issue 1 2011 ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE: INADVERTENT DISCLOSURE AND A PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF FEDERAL RULE OF EVIDENCE 502 John W. Gergacz* I. IN TR O D U CTION ................................................................................... 1 II. A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE .................. 2 III. THE DOCTRINES OF WAIVER AND INADVERTENT DISCLOSURE ........ 5 IV. INADVERTENT DISCLOSURE: CASE LAW DEVELOPMENT ................. 7 V. INADVERTENT DISCLOSURE: FEDERAL RULE OF EVIDENCE 502 ... 9 A. Uncertain Application of Rule 502(b)'s Inadvertent D isclosure Provisions ............................................................. 10 B. Uncertain Relationship Between Rule 502(a) Subject Matter Waivers and Rule 502(b) Inadvertent Disclosure ......... 12 VI. A PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF RULE 502 ................................. 14 V II. SUM M ARY .................................................................................... 16 I. INTRODUCTION The phrase To Err is Human[,] to Forgive, Divine is the source for Federal Rule of Evidence 502's take on the inadvertent disclosure of privileged communications.1 Although attorney-client privilege requires that a communication be kept confidential, Rule 502 rejects perfection in John Gergacz is a Professor at the University of Kansas School of Business. He is the author of Attorney- Corporate Client Privilege and numerous other articles and textbooks. He received both his Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctor degrees from Indiana University. 1. ALEXANDER POPE, AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM 30 (W. Lewis 1711) (General Books LLC, 2010) (1711).