Under Rule 1.6, when may a lawyer disclose confidential information without client consent?

Under Rule 1.6, when may a lawyer disclose confidential information without client consent?

• A. To prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm.
• B. To disclose to a third party for advice on a different matter.
• C. To gain an advantage in a separate dispute without consent.
• D. To reveal to the media to pressure the client.

Answer: (A)

When a lawyer talks about confidentiality, the rules are strict, but there is a narrow carve-out: you may disclose confidential information without the client's consent if doing so is necessary to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm. That means the lawyer can reveal only what is necessary to avert that harm, and the risk must be clearly significant and imminent. That is why this option is the best answer. It matches the explicit permission in Rule 1.6 for disclosures aimed at preventing death or serious injury, a purpose that justifies breaching confidentiality to protect a life or health interest. Disclosing to a third party for advice on a different matter would generally not be allowed, because the information is meant to stay confidential to protect the client’s interests in that matter. Disclosing to gain an advantage in a separate dispute or revealing to the media to pressure the client aren’t permitted either under Rule 1.6, since they don’t serve the narrowly defined purpose of preventing imminent harm and would undermine the confidentiality duty.

When a lawyer talks about confidentiality, the rules are strict, but there is a narrow carve-out: you may disclose confidential information without the client's consent if doing so is necessary to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm. That means the lawyer can reveal only what is necessary to avert that harm, and the risk must be clearly significant and imminent.

That is why this option is the best answer. It matches the explicit permission in Rule 1.6 for disclosures aimed at preventing death or serious injury, a purpose that justifies breaching confidentiality to protect a life or health interest.

Disclosing to a third party for advice on a different matter would generally not be allowed, because the information is meant to stay confidential to protect the client’s interests in that matter. Disclosing to gain an advantage in a separate dispute or revealing to the media to pressure the client aren’t permitted either under Rule 1.6, since they don’t serve the narrowly defined purpose of preventing imminent harm and would undermine the confidentiality duty.