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Serious question, has a judge ever called you out for a bad exhibit during a hearing?
I was in a federal court in Chicago last month, and the judge stopped me mid-argument to say my chart was 'misleading' because the scale was off. I had to pivot on the spot and walk him through the raw data instead, which actually worked better. Anyone else had to recover from a visual aid backfiring?
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claire_fisher411mo agoMost Upvoted
My first year as a paralegal, I was sure a slick chart was the best way to win any point. A judge in St. Louis totally schooled me on a timeline graphic, pointing out a gap I'd smoothed over (it looked cleaner that way, you know?). That moment made me see how a simple, honest table of dates can be way stronger than something fancy that might hide the messy parts. Now I run every visual by our most detail-oriented junior associate first, just to be safe.
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