LSAT 101 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q19

RC Question 19 Explanation

DISCUSSION: In policy capturing, the researcher reads the judges’ written opinions to see what the judge talks about.

In the other technique, researchers read transcripts of the entire trial. There are often details of a case that appear in a transcript but not in the judge’s opinion.

___________

1. We’re never told which approach studies more cases. They both sound like they study many cases.
2. The issues mentioned in a judge’s opinion are likely of great concern to litigants, as are the issues mentioned in a transcript.
    
   This answer choice better describes the difference between the two techniques from the third paragraph and “outcomes analysis” mentioned in the second paragraph.
3. We know that the second approach sticks to one time period, but we don’t know if that time period is more recent.
4. CORRECT. Lines 38 says that policy capturers read opinions. Lines 50 says that scholars of the other approach read entire transcripts. This lets them see whether any issues did not make it into the judge’s opinion.
5. Neither theory takes steps to eliminate bias, as far as we know.