In the revised sentence, which phrase completes 'ineffective assistance of counsel'?

• A. appointed by the court.
• B. trial error.
• C. A prisoner's.
• D. The Supreme Court.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is matching a modifier to complete the fixed noun phrase with a natural, idiomatic legal expression. “Ineffective assistance of counsel” is most sensibly followed by a descriptor that tells us which counsel is in question. “Appointed by the court” fits perfectly as a participial phrase describing the counsel. It yields a smooth, grammatical phrase: ineffective assistance of counsel appointed by the court.

The other options don’t fit as neatly. “Trial error” would force an odd juxtaposition and isn’t a natural continuation of the phrase. “A prisoner's” would require restructuring and still sounds awkward in this context. “The Supreme Court” cannot properly complete the phrase in a grammatical sentence about counsel.