Which of the following is a federal privilege (as listed)?

• A. Doctor-patient
• B. Social worker-client
• C. Reporter-source
• D. Clergyman-penitent

Answer: (D)

In federal courts, some confidential relationships are protected by privileges under federal common law. The clergy-penitent privilege protects confidential communications between a penitent and a clergy member when the purpose is spiritual guidance, keeping those communications confidential in judicial proceedings. This privilege is recognized broadly across federal courts, which is why it’s the correct choice.

The other relationships don’t have a blanket federal privilege. The doctor-patient relationship is largely a state-law privilege and isn’t universally recognized by federal courts the same way clergy-penitent is. The reporter-source privilege exists only as a limited, qualified protection in federal law (and not an unconditional blanket privilege), and social worker-client doesn’t have a national federal privilege.