Lawyers work with a wide range of legal materials, including contracts, statutes, rules, regulations, judicial opinions, and administrative materials. Drawing upon their specialized training, they interpret these materials differently than nonlawyers do. The Building a Better Bar study discusses this skill on pp. 39-40.
Written exams are capable of assessing this skill, although time constraints may limit the type of material tested on an exam. Law school clinics and postgraduate supervised practice experiences offer opportunities to assess this skill in a deeper, more realistic context.