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127 Harv. L. Rev. 1521 (2013-2014)
Misreading like a Lawyer: Cognitive Bias in Statutory Interpretation

handle is hein.journals/hlr127 and id is 1549 raw text is: VOLUME 127 APRIL 2014 NUMBER 6 HARVARD LAW REVIEW © 2014 by The Harvard Law Review Association ARTICLES MISREADING LIKE A LAWYER: COGNITIVE BIAS IN STATUTORY INTERPRETATION Jill C. Anderson CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1522 I. TROUBLEMAKING VERBS: OPAQUE SENTENCES AND HOW TO SPOT THEM... 1527 A. Transparent vs. Opaque Sentences...................................................................... ...... 1528 B. Two Ways to Read Opaque Sentences: De Re and De Dicto.....................................1532 C. Detecting De Dicto and De Re Readings ....................................................................1535 H . EX AM PLES O F M ISREAD IN G ...........................................................................................1538 A . F raud by Im personation .............................................................................................. 1538 B . O bstruction of Justice................................................................................................ ...1544 C . G en ocid e..........................................................................................................................1553 1. Interpreting Genocide in the Rwanda Tribunal....................................................1554 2. De Re and De Dicto Readings of Genocide ..........................................................1557 D . D isability R ights .............................................................................................................1563 III. WHY DO LAWYERS MISREAD? ......................................................................................1568 A . C lues from P sychology ................................................................................................ 1568 1. Evidence from Psycholinguistics: Acquiring Opacity...........................................1569 2. Explanations from Theories of Cognitive Bias .....................................................1574 B. The Role of Law in Propagating Error ........................................................................1579 1. Tools L aw yers L ack ............................................................................................. 1580 2. Tools Lawyers Use that Do Not Work ...................................................................1582 C. A Synthesized Account of Misreading .........................................................................1583 IV. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT MISREADING?..................................................................1584 A. Organizing a Paradigm of Readings.............................................................................1585 1. De Re Only.................................................................................................................1586 2. De Dicto Only............................................................................................................1586 3. D e R e or D e D icto....................................................................................................1587 4. D e R e and D e D icto ...............................................................................................1587 B. Traditional Approaches: Drafting and Defaults? .........................................................1587 C. Innovative Interventions: Technology and a New Heuristic.....................................1589 CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................1591 1521

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