The following text is adapted from a 2020 analysis of appellate court decisions. The defense attorney had prepared extensively for...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from a 2020 analysis of appellate court decisions. The defense attorney had prepared extensively for the complex case. She had researched every relevant precedent that might support her client's position, building a comprehensive legal strategy that addressed multiple angles of the disputed statute.
As used in the text, what does the word "relevant" most nearly mean?
Recent
Obvious
Applicable
Detailed
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The defense attorney had prepared extensively for the complex case." |
|
| "She had researched every relevant precedent that might support her client's position, building a comprehensive legal strategy that addressed multiple angles of the disputed statute." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The defense attorney thoroughly prepared for her complex case by researching supportive precedents and developing a comprehensive legal strategy.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the attorney's extensive preparation, then provides specific details about what that preparation entailed—researching precedents and building a multi-faceted legal strategy.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at the context, the attorney researched precedents "that might support her client's position."
- She's not looking for just any precedents—she's specifically seeking ones that relate to or apply to her client's case.
- In legal work, you need precedents that are connected to your situation, that bear on your specific legal issues.
- The word "relevant" here describes precedents that have a connection to the case at hand, that can actually be used to help the client's position.
- So the right answer should describe precedents that apply to or relate to the client's situation.
Recent
- Recent means happening not long ago.
- The timing of when precedents were established doesn't matter here—what matters is whether they connect to the client's case.
- An old precedent could be very useful if it applies to the situation.
Obvious
- Obvious means easily seen or understood.
- The attorney isn't looking for precedents that are easy to spot—she's looking for ones that relate to her case.
- Some applicable precedents might actually be quite obscure or hard to find.
Applicable
- Applicable means able to be applied or having bearing on the matter at hand.
- This perfectly captures what the attorney needs: precedents that apply to her client's situation and can be used to support the client's position.
- Matches our prethinking about precedents that relate to and can help the specific case.
Detailed
- Detailed means having many specific facts or elements.
- The level of detail in precedents isn't the focus here—what matters is whether they connect to the client's case.
- A very detailed precedent might be useless if it doesn't apply to the situation.