# How lawyer-record comparisons are calculated

See how qualifying representative filing records are linked to historical asylum outcomes and which comparisons this proxy supports.

[Canonical HTML](https://asylumcompass.com/representation-methodology)

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## What is counted

The unchanged M1 denominator contains one eligible proceeding event with a nonconflicting ASYL grant (G/I/P) or denial (D), a consistent case join and proceeding completion in FY2021–FY2025. G/(G+D) is calculated within each group; Wilson 95% intervals use the same G and N.



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## Qualifying record found

An eligible court/respondent tbl_RepsAssigned row must be parented to A_TblCase, have matching positive case references and a matching accepted case record. We take the earliest retained E_28_DATE between 1980-01-01 and 2026-08-31, using calendar dates. A qualifying match exists when that date is before or on proceeding completion and the case has no conflicting assignment references.



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## No qualifying record found

This is the complementary result of the same record search, including no retained row, a first valid date after completion, no usable date, or unresolved case linkage. These records stay in M1. It is not a category of proven unrepresented people. The original research on active representation remains valid: the export lacks scope, acceptance and complete relationship-end history.



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## Interpretation

The displayed gap is the found-proxy grant share minus the not-found-proxy grant share, in percentage points, whenever both groups have a nonzero eligible denominator. It is retained even when either group has N < 100; that group and the gap receive a small-sample cue, not a new suppression rule. A filing date does not prove that the representative was active or covered the asylum decision. Case-linked dates may span earlier proceedings, and same-day ordering is unknown. The groups may differ in legal merits, detention, nationality and other characteristics. This is a descriptive historical difference, not a causal effect or individual prediction.



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## Publication and disclosure

The historical RP1 release masked representation-record pairs using sample thresholds and subtraction checks. Its original files remain available as historical artifacts. The current site uses a complete public-source edition for every observed national, court, judge and nationality intersection. Every pair reconciles to the same public grant-and-denial denominator; no local small-cell mask remains on these proxy counts. A zero-record side has no grant share.



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## Source and calculation details

The source code key distinguishes filing dates, proceeding completion, representative roles and case linkage. “Representative” can include a qualified non-lawyer, so the product does not equate every EOIR-28 with an attorney.

- [EOIR CASE data code key](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/eoir-case-data-code-key/dl)
- [Explore the comparison](https://asylumcompass.com/representation)