- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8917
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:00 am
#26368
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=10971)
The correct answer choice is (B)
To answer this Parallel question correctly, we need to attain a more abstract understanding of how the uplift fee arrangements work: they apply only in case of a successful outcome, and require the client to pay the lawyer’s normal fee plus an agreed-upon additional percentage of that fee (lines 13-17). Note that the fee has no relation to the amount of damages a lawyer is able to secure for his or her client. Using the Test of Abstraction from Parallel Reasoning questions, we can formulate a suitable prephrase: The correct answer choice must contain three critical elements: 1) it must describe a scenario where the person (or a corporation) hired for a job receives payment only if they are successful in their job; 2) the amount they are paid is higher than what they would ordinarily charge for that job; and 3) the difference between the two amounts is an agreed-upon percentage of their regular fees.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice describes a situation where participants share both the costs and the benefits of a particular venture. No meaningful parallels can be drawn to the uplift fee arrangement described in the passage.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice, as it matches precisely the elements identified in our prephrase (above).
Answer choice (C): This scenario is similar to answer choice (A), as it describes an allocation of returns among several members that is proportional to the risk accrued by each member in pursuit of that return. No meaningful parallels can be drawn to the uplift fee arrangement described in the passage.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice describes what factors must be considered in determining the cost of an insurance policy. For this to be a suitable answer, the uplift fee would have to be proportional to the risk of entering into a costly trial (which it is not).
Answer choice (E): This answer choice describes how mortgage insurance works to reduce risk to the seller. The uplift fee arrangement does not reduce risk (in fact, it may reward risk), which is why this answer choice is also incorrect.
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=10971)
The correct answer choice is (B)
To answer this Parallel question correctly, we need to attain a more abstract understanding of how the uplift fee arrangements work: they apply only in case of a successful outcome, and require the client to pay the lawyer’s normal fee plus an agreed-upon additional percentage of that fee (lines 13-17). Note that the fee has no relation to the amount of damages a lawyer is able to secure for his or her client. Using the Test of Abstraction from Parallel Reasoning questions, we can formulate a suitable prephrase: The correct answer choice must contain three critical elements: 1) it must describe a scenario where the person (or a corporation) hired for a job receives payment only if they are successful in their job; 2) the amount they are paid is higher than what they would ordinarily charge for that job; and 3) the difference between the two amounts is an agreed-upon percentage of their regular fees.
- To illustrate the notion of uplift fees, think of how they would work for LSAT tutoring: tutors would not be paid unless they can substantially increase a student’s LSAT score. Their payment would be higher if the student achieves a high score, but only by a fixed percentage of the regular cost of tutoring. For instance, let’s say tutors charge $100/hour. If a student achieves a high score, the tutoring fee would increase to, say, $120 (20% more than the regular fee). However, tutors will not be allowed to calculate their fees as a percentage of, say, students’ increase in earning potential.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice describes a situation where participants share both the costs and the benefits of a particular venture. No meaningful parallels can be drawn to the uplift fee arrangement described in the passage.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice, as it matches precisely the elements identified in our prephrase (above).
Answer choice (C): This scenario is similar to answer choice (A), as it describes an allocation of returns among several members that is proportional to the risk accrued by each member in pursuit of that return. No meaningful parallels can be drawn to the uplift fee arrangement described in the passage.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice describes what factors must be considered in determining the cost of an insurance policy. For this to be a suitable answer, the uplift fee would have to be proportional to the risk of entering into a costly trial (which it is not).
Answer choice (E): This answer choice describes how mortgage insurance works to reduce risk to the seller. The uplift fee arrangement does not reduce risk (in fact, it may reward risk), which is why this answer choice is also incorrect.