Reading Comprehension

PT122 · S3 · P1 · Q1 Court Computer Displays

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Reading Comprehension question.

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

The use of computer-generated visual displays in courtrooms is growing as awareness of their ability to recreate crime scenes spreads.

Topic

The growing use of computer-generated visual displays in courtrooms—benefits, risks, and recommendations for fair use.

Framework

Problem / Solution

Main Point

While computer-generated displays can give litigators powerful advantages by making evidence more accessible and compelling for juries, they also pose risks of misuse and unfairness; therefore, practical steps must be taken to ensure accurate, equitable use in courtrooms. ( — first sentence of the last paragraph)

P1: The Rise and Advantages of Computer-Generated Displays

The paragraph explains how computer-generated visuals are changing how lawyers present cases. They make things clearer and more memorable for juries (like “being there”), especially in tricky or technical trials, because people remember pictures much better than words.

P2: Criticisms and Risks of Misuse

Here, the author points out that these displays can be abused or accidentally mislead juries, either by overwhelming their critical thinking with slick visuals or by giving one side an unfair advantage if the other can’t afford such technology. Plus, the displays mix data and speculation, which might not make them reliable evidence.

P3: Solutions and Safeguards

This paragraph proposes how to prevent abuse: lawyers should analyze and disclose the data behind displays, judges should carefully screen and explain the risks to jurors, and courts should ensure both sides have access to the technology, perhaps by offering financial assistance.

1.

Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

  1. Correct

    Those involved in court trials

    Why this is right

    This is our best match for the first sentence of the final paragraph. It addresses the central topic (computer-generated displays) and it reflects the author's purpose in writing about this topic (to provide solutions to potential problems created by this new technology).

    Skill tested: Main Point · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    79% picked this

  2. The use of computer-generated displays

    Too Neutral / Narrow

    This answer sounds like the main point of the first paragraph, but it doesn't capture all the concerns raised by the critics or the any of the suggested remedies discussed by the author. If an author ends a passage by providing recommendations / prescriptions, then that is the main reason they wrote the passage. If they could only have the reader hear one thing, it would be their recommendation, not some background info on the problem.

    4% picked this

  3. The persuasive nature of computer-generated

    Too Strong: requires / most

    The author's thesis does use language as strong as "must": to avoid misuse, practical steps must be taken. But she never says that the practical step is that we use the most sophisticated principles of jurisprudence. Neither 'jurisprudence' nor 'principles' are ever discussed in the passage.

    8% picked this

  4. Litigators’ prudent use of computer-generated

    Too Strong: will result

    This is not at all a match for the first sentence of the last paragraph, but it's not too far from expressing something similar. We can imagine that "prudent use" of computer-generated displays would involve abiding by the practical steps the author is endorsing. But the difference is this: Main Point - To avoid getting divorced, you must do X. This answer - Assuming people do X they will have happy marriages. Our author is conservatively optimistic about computer displays, but is definitely sobered by the potential for their misuse. The author lays out some factors she thinks we need to pay attention to in order to avoid misuse. This answer paints the author's tone way too optimistically, that "prudent use will result in better jury comprehension and fairer trials".

    1% picked this

  5. Any disadvantages of computer-generated visual

    Too Strong: eliminated / intentional

    Like (D), this answer suggests that the steps described in the last paragraph are sufficient to avoid misuse, but the author has identified them as necessary. This answer is saying "All disadvantages can be eliminated". The author never sounded that confident. She was more like, "You're right -- critics. This new technology could be a minefield of potential issues. We need to make sure we take these steps so that we can hopefully minimize misuse." Also, it's weird when this answer specifies intentional misuse, because some of the potential concerns did not involve anyone intentionally trying to mess with the integrity of a trial. For example, if one lawyer uses the technology and the other one doesn't, we're worried that a juror may be biased towards the side with the technology. None of that is happening because anyone is intentionally misusing the technology; it's just an inherent risk with the use of the technology.

    7% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free