If John Dowd was Trump's personal lawyer (not WH counsel),

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

and a lot of the stuff in Woodward's book seems to have come from Dowd, what happened to the attorney-client privilege? Wouldn't Dowd have violated it if he talked to Woodward, even if under "deep background," about the legal advice he gave Trump?

[marylandblue]

1. I don't think the information came from Dowd

There must have been other people in the room who told Woodward about it. If other people are there, no attorney-client privilege. Although an attorney still can't disparage a client in private or in public.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. From my reading of the book it sounds like the quotes did come directly from Dowd.

If someone else had been present for conversations with Trump then the privilege wouldn't apply, but he might have been on the edge, if not over it, with some of this stuff.

[EffieBlack]

3. Right. But if other people were in the room, Dowd could be the source

without violating attorney-client privilege since, as you correctly noted, the presence of third parties obviates any privilege.

[marylandblue]

4. He still can't say anything bad about his client

But if it was on background, and since he probably hates Trump like everyone else does, then maybe he would say it.

[edhopper]

5. unfactual post

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. No, it pertains to ANY communication between a lawyer and a client

if the communication involved the giving of legal advice, and no one else was present. It can have to do with any kind of civil matter as well as criminal cases, and it doesn't even have to involve litigation. If you ask a lawyer for advice about your will, or a contract or a real estate transaction those conversations are just as privileged as discussions about a criminal case, and the lawyer can't reveal what was said without your consent. The privilege is almost absolute - the only exception involves situations where the lawyer is a participant in the client's crime or fraud.

[BootinUp]

7. All the stuff about Donald wanting to be interviewed

And his lawyers Dowd’s advice about it, was already made public. Long time ago, like b4 he left.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Doesn't matter if the info was already public.

A lawyer still can't repeat the content of privileged conversations.

[shanny]

8. Fine. Disbar him and move on. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. That's not up to me.

[shanny]

11. Didn't think it was.

But I'm not going to spend any time worrying about the ethics of Dowd's revelations. He made his bed, so to speak, and so have a whole bunch of more consequential people.