Glossary
Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms that come up when you prepare exhibits.
Short definitions of the terms that come up while you prepare exhibits and offer them into evidence, written in plain English. Each entry says what the term means, where it appears in practice and which nearby terms are easy to confuse with it. Usage differs between courts, so read these as general explanations rather than as the rule in your jurisdiction.
Admitted exhibit — definition and example
What an admitted exhibit is, how admission follows an offer and a ruling, and a Smith v. Jones example of admission for a limited purpose.
Bates number — definition and example
What a Bates number is, how page-level production numbering differs from exhibit numbering, and how the Smith v. Jones production maps to exhibit ranges.
Exhibit — definition and example
What an exhibit is in litigation, how it differs from evidence, and a worked Smith v. Jones example of the same document used as three different exhibits.
Exhibit list — definition and example
What an exhibit list is, how it differs from the clerk's log and an internal index, and the columns used in the Smith v. Jones list.
Exhibit number — definition and example
What an exhibit number is, the common numbering schemes including letters and party prefixes, and how Smith v. Jones allocated its ranges.
Illustrative exhibit — definition and example
What an illustrative or demonstrative exhibit is, how courts treat it differently from substantive evidence, and a Smith v. Jones timeline board example.
Marked exhibit — definition and example
What it means for an exhibit to be marked for identification, why marking is not admission, and a Smith v. Jones example of a marked but excluded photograph.
Trial exhibit — definition and example
What a trial exhibit is, how it differs from a deposition or motion exhibit, and how one document becomes Exhibit 005 in the Smith v. Jones trial set.