The attorney-client privilege preserves the confidentiality of communications between lawyers and their clients. As a corporation, the University can assert the privilege. Communications may be privileged whether they are oral, written or electronic. Generally, the privilege will apply when the Office of the General Counsel and a University trustee, officer, employee or agent communicate for the purpose of providing or receiving legal advice or for the purpose of obtaining information in order to provide legal advice. Those communications are privileged as to third parties, but are not privileged as to other University officials.
To preserve the attorney-client privilege, if you are an employee or agent of the University and have sought or received legal advice from the Office of the General Counsel, you are obligated to keep such communications strictly confidential. You may share the communications only with other University officials after receiving authorization to do so from the Office of the General Counsel.
If you have any questions or concerns about the confidentiality of a particular conversation, you should ask the Office of the General Counsel before the conversation begins.
