The Proving Ground Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Connelly's Legal Thriller
Plot & Sequence Questions (8 questions)
1. (Multiple choice) In what setting does Mickey Haller first encounter writer Jack McEvoy?
- A. At a press conference outside the courthouse
- B. In the hallway after a court hearing
- C. At Haller’s warehouse during a bug sweep
- D. At the Redbird restaurant during a celebration
2. (Multiple choice) What key piece of evidence does Haller discover on the anonymous hard drive left in his car?
- A. Internal Tidalwaiv emails about safety concerns
- B. The full chat history between Aaron Colton and the AI Wren
- C. Naomi Kitchens‘ personnel file with her real name
- D. A video of the Grant High School break-in
3. (Short answer) What does the note found next to Rikki Patel’s body say?
4. (Multiple choice) Why does Judge Ruhlin deny the Masons‘ motion to dismiss the case before trial?
- A. Because the statute of limitations has not expired
- B. Because AI does not have constitutional rights
- C. Because the plaintiffs have standing as parents
- D. Because the defense admitted to destroying evidence
5. (Multiple choice) Which witness does Haller decide to put on the stand after he changes his trial plan at lunch?
- A. Naomi Kitchens
- B. Dr. Deborah Porreca (Dr. Debbie)
- C. Michael Spindler
- D. Nathan Whittaker
6. (Short answer) What password does the AI Wren provide to open the gun safe?
7. (Multiple choice) What new evidence does Haller present to support David Snow’s habeas corpus petition?
- A. A recantation by the original victim
- B. Medical records showing osteogenesis imperfecta
- C. A confession from another person
- D. Video footage of the alleged abuse
8. (Multiple choice) How does the trial ultimately conclude for the Randolph case?
- A. The jury returns a verdict for the plaintiffs
- B. The judge declares a mistrial
- C. Tidalwaiv settles for $52 million before the verdict
- D. The Masons win a directed verdict
Character Motivation Questions (5 questions)
9. (Multiple choice) Why does Naomi Kitchens initially refuse to testify or turn over documents?
- A. She is still employed by Tidalwaiv
- B. She fears reprisals against herself and her daughter
- C. She signed a lifetime gag order
- D. She believes Haller cannot win the case
10. (Short answer) Why does Mickey Haller decide not to call Bruce and Trisha Colton as witnesses?
11. (Multiple choice) What motivates Maggie McPherson to channel her anger after losing her home in the wildfire?
- A. She wants to reconcile with Haller
- B. She prosecutes fire starters and looters with maximum justice
- C. She decides to run for district attorney
- D. She volunteers for disaster relief
12. (Multiple choice) Why does Jack McEvoy offer to help Haller without payment?
- A. He wants inside access for his reporting on technology dangers
- B. He is a childhood friend of Haller
- C. He is secretly working for Tidalwaiv
- D. He hopes to win a journalism award
13. (Multiple choice) Why does Victor Wendt offer Haller a $2.6 million yearly retainer after the trial?
- A. To hire Haller as Tidalwaiv’s in-house counsel
- B. To keep Haller from filing future lawsuits against Tidalwaiv
- C. To fund a new technology ethics foundation
- D. To pay for Haller’s political campaign
Theme & Symbol Questions (4 questions)
14. (Multiple choice) The epigraph quotes the National Association of Attorneys General warning about what?
- A. Climate change and wildfires
- B. The dangers of AI to children
- C. Internet privacy violations
- D. The opioid crisis
15. (Short answer) What does the “proving ground” metaphor refer to in the novel?
16. (Multiple choice) The concept “garbage in, garbage out” (GIGO) is used by Professor Spindler to explain what?
- A. Why the AI’s code contained biases from its programmers
- B. Why the jury should disregard certain evidence
- C. Why the defense’s arguments are illogical
- D. Why the laptop drive was corrupted
17. (Multiple choice) What does the wildfire and its aftermath symbolize in relation to Mickey and Maggie’s relationship?
- A. The impossibility of second chances
- B. Destruction that can lead to renewal, like ecological succession
- C. The need for revenge
- D. The failure of government preparedness
Synthesis Questions (3 questions)
18. (Short answer) How does Haller’s handling of the David Snow habeas case parallel his strategy in the Tidalwaiv trial?
19. (Multiple choice) Which of the following best explains why Haller insists on a public admission of fault during settlement talks rather than just money?
- A. He believes accountability is necessary to prevent future harm
- B. He wants to humiliate the Masons
- C. His clients demanded a public apology
- D. He needs the admission for his own book deal
20. (Multiple choice) At the end of the novel, Haller rejects Victor Wendt’s retainer offer. What does this decision reveal about Haller’s character arc?
- A. He prioritizes integrity over personal financial gain
- B. He plans to retire from law
- C. He intends to work for the government
- D. He no longer believes in the legal system
Answer Key
1. B – In chapter [3: 2], McEvoy approaches Haller in the hallway after a hearing and asks for a private meeting.
2. B – The hard drive contains the saved chat history between Aaron and the AI companion Wren, which becomes crucial evidence.
3. “rear bedroom” – The note found on the floor at Patel’s bungalow reads “rear bedroom”.
4. B – Judge Ruhlin denies the motion, stating that AI does not have constitutional rights.
5. B – Haller decides to call Dr. Deborah Porreca (Dr. Debbie) after lunch instead of the Coltons.
6. The Coltons’ wedding anniversary – The AI provides the gun safe combination, which is the Coltons’ wedding anniversary.
7. B – Haller presents medical evidence that Cassandra Snow suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, a brittle bone disease.
8. C – Tidalwaiv settles for $52 million before the verdict is rendered.
9. B – Kitchens fears reprisals against herself and her daughter, especially after receiving threatening messages.
10. He suspects they may have made a deal with the Masons and could testify against his case. – Haller believes the Coltons might be hostile witnesses after settling with Tidalwaiv for $3 million and signing an NDA.
11. B – Maggie channels her anger into prosecuting fire starters and looters, achieving maximum justice.
12. A – McEvoy wants inside access for his Substack Fair Warning and his book about technology dangers.
13. B – Wendt offers the retainer to keep Haller from filing lawsuits against Tidalwaiv in the future.
14. B – The epigraph warns that society is in a race to protect children from AI dangers and that defenses have been breached.
**15. It refers to the courtroom where an attorney proves themselves, specifically the jury box where Haller makes his final stand.
16. A – Spindler explains that the AI’s training data contained misogyny and incel biases, which infected the code.
17. B – The wildfire destroys Maggie’s home but leads to her rebuilding her relationship with Haller, paralleling ecological succession.
18. In both cases, Haller relies on medical/technical evidence to challenge a prevailing narrative and seeks justice even when it is risky or difficult. – He uses OI evidence for Snow and the AI chat logs for the trial.
19. A – Haller wants a public admission of fault to hold the company accountable and prevent future harm to children.
20. A – By refusing the retainer, Haller demonstrates that he values his integrity over money, rejecting a buyout that would compromise his independence.