Reading Comprehension: Science and Law Passages Flashcards

A passage on administrative law and scientific agencies states that courts reviewing agency scientific determinations apply a 'highly deferential arbitrary and capricious standard.' Which of the following best explains why courts apply this deferential standard?

Answer: Agencies possess specialized technical expertise that generalist judges lack

The rationale for deferring to agency scientific judgments is institutional competence—agencies employ specialists whose expertise courts cannot replicate.

In an LSAT reading passage, an ecologist argues that habitat fragmentation reduces biodiversity by creating 'island effects' that limit species migration. A lawyer citing this passage in an environmental case would most directly use it to argue that:

Answer: Road construction that fragments contiguous habitat may cause legally cognizable environmental harm

The island-effect argument most directly supports a legal claim that habitat fragmentation causes harm—exactly the factual predicate a litigant would cite in an environmental case.

A passage presents a study showing that jurisdictions with mandatory minimum sentencing have not experienced lower crime rates than jurisdictions without such laws. The author then notes that legislators who passed these laws cited deterrence as the primary justification. The author's purpose in juxtaposing these two points is most likely to:

Answer: Question whether the empirical basis for mandatory minimums supports the deterrence rationale legislators invoked

By contrasting the empirical evidence with the stated legislative justification, the author invites scrutiny of whether the policy achieves its stated goal.

A science passage describes the development of mRNA vaccine technology, noting that it had been researched for decades before COVID-19 created conditions for rapid deployment. This historical context most likely serves to:

Answer: Counter the perception that mRNA vaccines were developed recklessly quickly by showing the underlying science was mature

Providing the decades-long research history addresses the concern that speed of development reflected inadequate safety testing.

An LSAT passage about the Frye standard and the Daubert standard for expert scientific testimony states that Frye requires evidence to be 'generally accepted' in the relevant scientific community. Which of the following is a recognized criticism of the Frye standard compared to Daubert?

Answer: Frye may exclude novel but well-validated scientific methods that have not yet achieved widespread acceptance

The classic Frye criticism is that the general-acceptance requirement can exclude cutting-edge, rigorously validated science that has simply not yet gained mainstream adoption.

A passage on international environmental law discusses the concept of 'common but differentiated responsibilities,' which holds that all nations share responsibility for global environmental problems but that developed nations bear greater obligations due to historical emissions. A developing nation's negotiator would most likely invoke this principle to argue that:

Answer: Developed nations should provide financial and technological assistance to help developing nations meet emissions targets

Common but differentiated responsibilities is most often invoked to justify developed-nation obligations to support developing countries through finance and technology transfer.

A passage describes a scientist who publishes findings contradicting a widely held theory, and a legal scholar who argues for overturning a long-standing precedent. The author draws a parallel between these figures in order to:

Answer: Illustrate that both disciplines must balance respect for established consensus with openness to revision based on new evidence or arguments

The parallel highlights a structural similarity: both disciplines rely on established frameworks while preserving mechanisms for revision when evidence or argument warrants it.