Self-study
P1
Computers have long been utilized in the sphere of law in the form of word processors, spreadsheets, legal research systems, and practice management systems. ███
Context ·
Computers often used by lawyers
Topic ·
Exciting prospect of using computers for legal reasoning
Problem ·
Computers don't perform legal reasoning well
Main Point / Explanation ·
Computers have difficult interpreting and applying legal rules
P2
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Early Methods ·
Assumed computers could apply facts to rules to reach legal results
Problem with Early Methods ·
Underestimated difficulty of interpretation
E.g., is a mobile home in a trailer park a house or a motor vehicle? That requires interpretation. Many laws contain vague concepts in order to be flexible. But to apply those laws requires a lot of contextual knowledge about the world.
P3
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Modern Methods ·
Computers that incorporate case law
Proponents believe that computers can be programed with cases and use case-based reasoning to reach the right conclusion.
Problem with Modern Methods ·
The problem of interpretation is still present
Because the computer still needs to figure out which cases are similar in relevant ways.
Passage Style
Problem-analysis
Single position
24.
The passage suggests that the ██████ █████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ █████ ████ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██████████ █████ ████████████ █████████ █████ █████████ ████████
a
These systems have ███ ███ ████████ ████████████ ██ ████████ ███████████ ███ ████ ██████ █████ ██ ███ █████ ██ █████ ██████████████
Unsupported. The author only ever says that these systems have
b
Progress in research ██ █████ ███████ ███ ████ █████████ ████ ███████ ███ ██████ █████ █████████ ███ ██████████ ██ ████████ ████ ███████ ███████████ ████████ ██████ █████████
Anti-supported. The author argues that progress is hindered because of the way these systems function on a fundamental level. The problems are more on the theoretical side. Meanwhile, the author never raises any issues with access to legal documents.
c
These systems will ████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ █████ ████████ █████ ██████ ████ ██ ████ ██ █████ █████████
Unsupported. The author never suggests how these systems will or should be used. She brings up
d
Rule systems will ██████ ███████ ██████████ ███████ ████ █████
Unsupported. The author presents case-based systems as a more recent development than rule-based ones, and she never suggests that rule-based systems will replace them. She simply says there are problems with both.
e
Developing adequate legal █████████ ███████ █████ ███████ ████████ █████████████ ██ ████████ ████████████
Strongly supported. The author notes that to for rule-based systems to work, they’d need a “