Speak for Yourself: The 30(b)(6) Deposition


As most federal practitioners are generally aware, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b)(6) allows a party to depose a corporation, government agency, or other organization. The rule requires an entity to designate one or more individuals to testify on its behalf if the notice describes the matters for examination with “reasonable particularity,” and it places the burden on the organization to designate individuals reasonably educated to testify on those matters.¹ Intended to provide a means for a party to inquire into basic organizational information, depose someone who speaks for the entity, and acquire leads to pursue through other discovery tools, the rule can be extremely useful (albeit burdensome).