Rule 501 Privilege in General

In Michigan courts, the rules about privilege come from common law. Common law is the body of law built up over time through court decisions, not written laws passed by a legislature.

Privilege protects certain private communications from being shared in court. For example, conversations between a lawyer and client or between a doctor and patient are often protected. If a specific state law or court rule covers a privilege, that law or rule takes over instead of common law.