Rule 26(b)(1) governs which aspect of civil procedure?

• A. The scope of discovery, including relevance and proportionality.
• B. The attorney-client privilege.
• C. The best evidence rule.
• D. Authentication requirements.

Answer: (A)

Rule 26(b)(1) sets the boundary for what can be discovered in civil cases. It says discovery can reach any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to a party’s claim or defense, but only if it is proportional to the needs of the case. Proportionality factors include the importance of the issues, the amount in controversy, the parties’ resources, and whether the discovery’s likely benefit justifies the burden or cost. This keeps discovery targeted and reasonable rather than open-ended.

Privileged information is not within this broad discovery scope and is protected by other rules; the best evidence rule and authentication requirements come from evidentiary rules, not the discovery scope. So the statement about discovery scope, relevance, and proportionality best captures what Rule 26(b)(1) governs.