Under Rule 26(c), protective orders may provide that discovery

Under Rule 26(c), protective orders may provide that discovery

• A. The scope may be limited to certain matters
• B. The court must always disclose all secrets
• C. Protective orders require disclosure of all trade secrets
• D. Discovery must be completed within five days

Answer: (A)

Rule 26(c) allows protective orders to tailor discovery to protect sensitive information and reduce burden by narrowing what can be discovered to specific matters at issue. This means the court can limit the scope to particular topics, categories of documents, or information relevant to the case, rather than allowing broad, unfettered discovery. The idea is to strike a balance: you get information that matters for the case, while preventing excessive or invasive disclosure of secrets or confidential material. The other ideas conflict with that purpose. Protective orders aren’t about forcing disclosure of secrets; they’re tools to protect confidential information, often with redactions or restricted access. And there isn’t a universal five-day deadline for completing discovery; deadlines are set by the court based on the specifics of the case.

Rule 26(c) allows protective orders to tailor discovery to protect sensitive information and reduce burden by narrowing what can be discovered to specific matters at issue. This means the court can limit the scope to particular topics, categories of documents, or information relevant to the case, rather than allowing broad, unfettered discovery. The idea is to strike a balance: you get information that matters for the case, while preventing excessive or invasive disclosure of secrets or confidential material.

The other ideas conflict with that purpose. Protective orders aren’t about forcing disclosure of secrets; they’re tools to protect confidential information, often with redactions or restricted access. And there isn’t a universal five-day deadline for completing discovery; deadlines are set by the court based on the specifics of the case.