Quick answer: Trial graphics are the visuals trial teams use to help a judge, jury, arbitrator or mediator understand a case: timelines, technical diagrams, document call-outs, maps, charts and presentation decks. The best trial graphics make one point each, tie every detail back to the record, and match the visual to the claim (a timeline for sequence, a diagram for how something works, a chart for how a number changed). They work best when a trial graphics team helps shape the case story with counsel early, not just draws slides the week before trial.
Most cases aren't decided by the facts alone. They're decided by how well the people in the room understand those facts. A years-long sequence of events, an engineering process, a medical injury, a contract with fifteen amendments, an expert's damages model: none of it was written to be absorbed by a juror hearing it once, or by a judge reading it at the end of a long docket.
That's the job of trial graphics. Done well, they make complicated information quick, clear and memorable. Done poorly, they confuse the fact finder or give opposing counsel something to attack.
What are trial graphics?
Trial graphics are visual exhibits created to explain the facts, evidence and arguments in a case. You'll also hear them called litigation graphics, trial demonstratives, demonstrative exhibits or demonstrative evidence. In federal court, many now fall under the term "illustrative aids."
They cover everything from a single timeline for a hearing to a full set of opening and closing slides, printed boards, technical explainers and mediation decks. The common thread: they exist to help the fact finder understand testimony, documents and argument, which is why they're held to standards of accuracy and fairness.
Trial graphics vs. demonstrative evidence: what's the difference?
The terms overlap. "Demonstrative evidence" is the legal category: material that illustrates or explains other evidence rather than being part of the underlying events (a signed contract is real evidence; a timeline of when each amendment was signed is demonstrative). "Trial graphics" is the practical work product: the timelines, diagrams and decks a trial team actually builds and shows. Most trial graphics are demonstratives, and the rules that govern them are covered below.
Trial graphics examples by case type
- Almost any matter: timelines and chronologies that show what happened, in what order, and who knew what when.
- Contract and commercial disputes: document call-outs, side-by-side clause comparisons and relationship maps that show what the agreement actually said and how the parties dealt with each other.
- Construction and engineering: site plans, schedule (delay) charts and process diagrams that show where things went wrong and what caused the delay or failure.
- Product liability and patent: technical explainers, cutaway diagrams and step-by-step process animations that show how a product, process or invention works.
- Personal injury and medical: anatomical illustrations and treatment timelines that show the injury, the care received and its effect.
- Accidents and premises: scene diagrams, maps and reconstructions that show positions, distances, sightlines and sequence.
- Damages and financial matters: damages charts, bridge (waterfall) charts and money-movement diagrams that show how a number was calculated and where money went.
- Cases with thousands of records: Rule 1006 summary charts and tables that condense the pattern in voluminous records.
Illustrative aid or summary? What changed in 2024
Two federal rule changes that took effect on December 1, 2024 sharpened a distinction that used to get blurred under the single word "demonstrative":
- New Federal Rule of Evidence 107 (illustrative aids). An illustrative aid helps the fact finder understand evidence or argument, but it is not evidence itself. The court weighs its usefulness against the risk of unfair prejudice, confusion or delay. It doesn't go to the jury room unless all parties agree or the court orders it for good cause, and it should be entered into the record when practicable.
- Amended Rule 1006 (summaries of voluminous records). A properly supported summary, chart or calculation of voluminous admissible records is admitted as evidence, whether or not the underlying records have been introduced. The underlying originals must be made available to the other side, and the summary still has to pass Rule 403.
In practice, that means two build standards. A Rule 1006 summary is evidence, so it needs to be neutral, complete and traceable line by line. An illustrative aid can be more explanatory, but it still has to fairly reflect the evidence. Several states have adopted or are considering similar changes, so check the rules of your court early.
8 principles for trial graphics that hold up
- Start with the sentence the fact finder needs to believe. Write the one-line takeaway before anyone opens design software. If you can't write it, the exhibit isn't ready to design.
- One idea per exhibit. A graphic that tries to prove three things proves none of them. Split complex points into a short sequence.
- Tie every detail to the record. Put exhibit numbers, Bates ranges or testimony cites on the graphic itself, so your team can defend it in seconds.
- Match the visual to the claim. Sequence calls for a timeline, mechanics call for a diagram, change over time calls for a chart, and relationships call for a map.
- Use plain language. Label things the way a smart non-expert would describe them. If a technical term matters, define it once, on the exhibit.
- Build it to reveal step by step. Graphics that build as counsel or the witness talks keep attention on the point being made right now.
- Design for the room. Courtroom monitors, printed boards, remote hearings and mediation decks all read differently. Test at the size and distance the fact finder will actually see.
- Prepare for scrutiny. Keep a version history, the source behind every element and a short note on how anything calculated was calculated, so a challenged exhibit can be defended or revised overnight.
Teach before you prove
When a case depends on how something works (a manufacturing process, a software system, a medical procedure, a valuation method), a short visual tutorial before the evidence can do a lot of heavy lifting. Fact finders who understand the mechanics first follow the evidence more easily and remember it better. Tutorials are usually illustrative aids under Rule 107, so they should stay accurate and balanced, but they can be simple and friendly in tone.
When the case turns on numbers
Financial evidence deserves a special mention because it's where fact finders tune out fastest. Damages models, valuations and accounting analyses work best as a short series of charts: the conclusion first, then the few steps that get there, with every total reconciling visibly to the expert's figures. It also helps to have someone on the graphics side who can read the underlying analysis and check the math. (Our own trial graphics team includes a designer who is also a licensed CPA, for exactly that reason.) Our guide for forensic accounting expert witnesses goes deeper on presenting financial findings.
When to bring in a trial graphics team
Earlier than most teams do. The strongest visuals come from working through the case story with counsel, and with experts where they're involved, before reports and outlines are final, so the visuals and the testimony support each other. Waiting until the week before a hearing usually means redrawing what already exists rather than shaping how the case is explained. The same goes for mediation and arbitration, where a clear visual may shape settlement value long before trial.
If a case on your desk has a story that's hard to tell, that's usually the right moment to bring in a trial graphics team.
How to choose a trial graphics partner
Whether you call them a trial graphics consultant, a litigation graphics firm or a demonstratives team, these are the questions worth asking before you bring someone onto a matter:
- Do they start with strategy? The best partners help counsel decide what needs to be shown and in what order, not just how it looks.
- Can they understand your subject matter? Technical, medical and financial matters each need someone who can read the underlying material and catch errors before opposing counsel does.
- How do they protect accuracy? Ask how they source and check every element, and whether exhibits carry record cites.
- How do they handle confidentiality and conflicts? Expect a conflict check and an NDA before any documents change hands, and work performed at the direction of counsel.
- Can they meet your deadlines? Court and mediation dates don't move. Ask for an honest read on turnaround for your schedule.
- What formats do they deliver? PowerPoint, PDF, high-resolution images, print-ready boards, and files that work with your courtroom presentation setup.
- How is the work priced? Look for a clear, itemized estimate per matter that can pass through as a case cost, with no surprises.
You can see the kind of work we build on our trial graphics and litigation graphics services page, with samples created entirely from invented facts, or learn about our broader work with law firms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are trial graphics?
Visual exhibits (timelines, diagrams, charts, maps, document call-outs and presentation decks) that help a judge, jury, arbitrator or mediator understand the facts and arguments in a case.
What are examples of trial graphics?
Case timelines and chronologies, technical process diagrams, site plans and scene diagrams, medical illustrations, side-by-side document comparisons, damages charts, summary charts of voluminous records, and opening and closing presentations.
Are trial graphics the same as demonstrative evidence?
They overlap. Demonstrative evidence is the legal category for material that illustrates other evidence; trial graphics are the visuals trial teams actually build. Most trial graphics are used as demonstratives or, in federal court, illustrative aids.
What is the difference between Rule 107 and Rule 1006?
Rule 107 covers illustrative aids, which help explain evidence but aren't evidence themselves. Rule 1006 covers summaries, charts or calculations of voluminous records, which are admitted as evidence. Since December 1, 2024, a properly supported Rule 1006 summary can come in whether or not the underlying records were introduced.
When should you hire a trial graphics consultant?
As early as the case story starts taking shape, ideally before expert reports and witness outlines are final. Early involvement means the visuals and testimony are built to support each other.
How much do trial graphics cost?
It depends on the scope, from a single exhibit for a hearing to full support through trial. Ask for an itemized estimate per matter before work begins.
This article is general information, not legal advice. How an exhibit is used, and whether it's admissible, is always counsel's call under the rules of the relevant court.
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