In United States v. Williams, 698 F.3d 374 (7th Cir. 2012) (Nos. 11-1002, 11-1012), the Seventh Circuit held that a client was not soliciting legal advice for purposes of the attorney-client privilege when he asked his counsel to give his cousin a letter asking the cousin to provide a false alibi.  At trial, the government called the defendant’s former attorney as a witness.  The lawyer testified that the defendant had mailed him an envelope marked “legal mail” (so that it could not be opened by the jail) that contained a sealed letter addresses to the cousin and a note asking the lawyer to forward the letter.  Suspicious, the lawyer opened and read the letter, which instructed the cousin to provide the false alibi.  The lawyer did not forward the letter, but instead, with the trial court’s permission, withdrew as counsel, turned the letter over to the government, and agreed at the government’s request to testify at his former client’s trial.  Following his conviction, the former client appealed, arguing among other things that his lawyer violated the attorney-client privilege.  The court rejected the argument.  In asking the lawyer to forward the letter, the client was not soliciting legal advice or providing information that the lawyer might use in crafting a defense.  Also, when information is transmitted to an attorney with the intent that the information will be transmitted to a third party, such information is not confidential.  The court also ruled that it was not unethical for the lawyer to turn his client in and testify against him under the circumstances, including the ethical rules in effect at the time of the conduct.