Case Citation
Legal Case Name

In re Feldberg Case Brief

Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit1988Docket #66240621
862 F.2d 622

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: Attorney subpoenaed by grand jury asserted attorney-client privilege regarding document production. Court found privilege inapplicable to non-legal custodial tasks and remanded to assess crime-fraud exception for communications potentially furthering obstruction of justice.

Legal Significance: Clarifies that attorney-client privilege does not shield communications about an attorney’s non-legal, ministerial tasks (e.g., document custodian) and refines the “prima facie” standard for the crime-fraud exception.

In re Feldberg Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

A grand jury investigating World Sports and Entertainment and its president, Norby Walters, for mail fraud related to undisclosed contracts with college athletes, issued a subpoena for all such contracts. Walters’ attorney, Michael Feldberg, initially produced 51 contracts, all dated after the athletes’ collegiate eligibility. After a further request, Feldberg produced seven more contracts, six of which were post-dated to appear as if signed after eligibility expired, revealing a scheme to surreptitiously contract with amateur athletes. The grand jury, suspecting obstruction of justice due to the delayed and incomplete production, subpoenaed Feldberg to testify about the document search and production process. Feldberg asserted attorney-client privilege in response to questions about who searched the files, how he knew the initial production was complete, and specific conversations with Walters regarding the subpoena and document production. The district court ordered Feldberg to answer, distinguishing communications about the act of production from those about the investigation’s general subject matter. The government argued the crime-fraud exception applied and that there was no expectation of confidentiality for information intended for disclosure.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does the attorney-client privilege protect an attorney’s communications with a client regarding the ministerial tasks of locating and producing documents in response to a grand jury subpoena, and what evidentiary showing is required to establish the crime-fraud exception to the privilege?

Vacated and remanded. The attorney-client privilege does not protect communications related to Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incidi

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

Does the attorney-client privilege protect an attorney’s communications with a client regarding the ministerial tasks of locating and producing documents in response to a grand jury subpoena, and what evidentiary showing is required to establish the crime-fraud exception to the privilege?

Conclusion

This case significantly refines the boundaries of attorney-client privilege, distinguishing protected legal Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint oc

Legal Rule

The attorney-client privilege protects confidential communications made for the purpose of facilitating Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. E

Legal Analysis

The court, per Judge Easterbrook, emphasized that the attorney-client privilege is limited Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • The attorney-client privilege does not cover an attorney’s ministerial or custodial
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fu

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