A judge is trying to determine what the core of a particular dispute is really all about. After reading the papers filed by the attorneys for both sides, the judge determines that the parties are arguing about whether the defendant violated a particular section of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Which of the following BEST characterizes what the judge is doing?

The judge is weighing conflicting ethical norms

The judge is resolving an ambiguity

The judge is trying to define the issue

The judge is searching for relevant missing information