Use of maps and charts.

• Jurisdiction: United States

Section 124. Use of maps and charts.—The need for graphic presentation of matters difficult to describe otherwise—"one picture is worth a thousand words"—justifies inclusion in the brief of maps, charts, or patent drawings. You must have those visual aids in your brief so that the judges can study them at their leisure when the case is under consideration. But it is a great mistake to rely on the map in the brief when arguing the case in open court, and equally a mistake to hand up one set of the applicable exhibits for the use of each member of the court. What you should do is to have an enlarged copy of the map or drawing in the courtroom, on a stand or easel, and sufficiently large so that it can be seen by every member of the bench. (Try it out in the empty courtroom beforehand to make sure it is really big enough for all essential details to be seen by all the judges.) And, when you argue, use a pointer as you explain your exhibit.

Why all this trouble? Because if you hand a map or chart or...