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User Guide

Exhibits

Link evidence and documents to timeline events

Overview

Exhibits are documents, evidence, or references that support the events in your timeline. Linking exhibits to events creates a connection between your chronological narrative and the supporting evidence.

What are Exhibits?

In Thea, an exhibit represents:

  • Physical evidence submitted in legal proceedings
  • Documents that support or prove an event occurred
  • References to source materials
  • Attachments or citations

Each exhibit can be linked to one or more events, and each event can have multiple exhibits.

Creating Exhibits

Method 1: While Editing an Event

The most common way to create exhibits:

  1. Open or edit an event
  2. Scroll to the Exhibits section
  3. Click Add Exhibit
  4. Fill in exhibit details:
    • Exhibit Number: e.g., "Ex. 12", "Plaintiff's A", "Defense Exhibit 4"
    • Title: Brief description (e.g., "Employment Contract")
    • Description: Additional details (optional)
    • Document Reference: Link to source document or URL (optional)
  5. Click Save

The exhibit is now linked to this event.

Method 2: From Exhibit Manager

Create exhibits in bulk:

  1. Open your timeline
  2. Click Manage Exhibits in the toolbar
  3. Click Add New Exhibit
  4. Fill in details
  5. Save the exhibit

Later, you can link it to events from the event editor.

Exhibit Properties

Required Fields

  • Exhibit Number: Unique identifier (e.g., "Ex. 1", "Plaintiff's Exhibit A")
  • Title: Short, descriptive name

Optional Fields

  • Description: Longer explanation or context
  • Document URL/Reference: Link to the actual document (stored in your project or externally)
  • Document Type: E.g., "Contract", "Email", "Invoice", "Photo"
  • Notes: Internal notes about the exhibit

Linking Exhibits to Events

When editing an event:

  1. Scroll to the Exhibits section
  2. Click Link Exhibit
  3. Choose from existing exhibits OR create a new one
  4. The exhibit appears in the event's exhibit list

One exhibit can be linked to multiple events—useful when the same document is relevant to several chronological moments.

To unlink an exhibit from an event:

  1. Edit the event
  2. Find the exhibit in the Exhibits section
  3. Click the X or Remove button next to the exhibit
  4. Save the event

Note: This doesn't delete the exhibit—it just removes the link. The exhibit remains available for other events.

Managing Exhibits

Exhibit Manager

Access all exhibits for a timeline:

  1. Open timeline settings
  2. Click Manage Exhibits
  3. See a list of all exhibits with:
    • Exhibit number
    • Title
    • Number of linked events
    • Actions (Edit, Delete)

Editing Exhibits

To change exhibit details:

  1. Open Manage Exhibits
  2. Click Edit next to the exhibit
  3. Modify any field
  4. Click Save

Changes apply to all events linked to this exhibit.

Deleting Exhibits

To permanently remove an exhibit:

  1. Open Manage Exhibits
  2. Click Delete next to the exhibit
  3. Confirm deletion

Warning: This removes the exhibit from all events it's linked to. Consider unlinking instead if you might need it later.

Viewing Exhibits

In Timeline Views

Event cards/tooltips:

  • Show linked exhibit count (e.g., "2 exhibits")
  • Click to see exhibit details

Event detail drawer:

  • Lists all linked exhibits
  • Click exhibit to see full details
  • Option to view source document if linked

List View:

  • Exhibits column shows count
  • Click to expand and see exhibit list

Exhibit Panel

Some timeline views offer an exhibit panel:

  • Shows all exhibits for the timeline
  • Click an exhibit to highlight events that reference it
  • Useful for evidence-first analysis (starting with a document and finding related events)

Exhibit References and Sources

Linking to Source Documents

If the exhibit is one of your uploaded documents:

  1. Edit the exhibit
  2. In Document Reference, select from your project documents
  3. Save

Users can click to preview or download the source document.

External References

For exhibits stored elsewhere:

  1. Add a URL in the Document Reference field
  2. Could link to:
    • Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox)
    • Document management systems
    • Court filing systems
    • Internal case management tools

Citation Format

Use the Exhibit Number field for your citation system:

  • Court style: "Plaintiff's Exhibit 12"
  • Simple numbering: "Ex. A", "Ex. B"
  • Categorized: "FIN-01" (Financial Exhibit 1)
  • Party-based: "Def-001" (Defense Exhibit 1)

Consistency helps during trial preparation and presentation.

Exhibits in Exports

PDF Exports

  • Exhibit lists appear with each event
  • Full exhibit details can be included as appendix
  • Option to include/exclude exhibits when exporting

Word Exports

  • Events show linked exhibit numbers
  • Exhibit table can be added as separate section
  • Hyperlinks preserved if document references use URLs

Use Cases

Trial Preparation

Build exhibit lists while creating your timeline:

  • Link key documents as you add events
  • Generate exhibit list directly from timeline
  • Ensure every factual assertion is supported

Discovery Organization

Track which documents support which events:

  • Upload discovery documents to project
  • Create exhibits for important documents
  • Link to events as you build the timeline
  • Identify gaps in evidence

Fact Investigation

Use exhibits to track source verification:

  • Each event links to its proof
  • Easy to see which events need better documentation
  • Audit trail for fact-checking

Client Presentations

Show evidence-backed timelines:

  • "Here's what happened, and here's the proof"
  • Click-through to source documents during meetings
  • Professional, credible presentations

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

  • Consistent numbering: Pick a format and stick to it
  • Descriptive titles: "Employment Contract - Smith" not just "Contract"
  • Date in title: "Email - 2024-03-15 - Smith to Jones" for clarity

Organization Tips

  • Create exhibits early: Add them as you review documents
  • Link generously: Better to over-link than under-link
  • Review exhibit usage: Use Exhibit Manager to find rarely-used exhibits
  • Update descriptions: Add context as you learn more about the case

Quality Control

  • Verify every important event has at least one exhibit
  • Check that exhibit numbers are unique and properly formatted
  • Ensure document references work (links aren't broken)
  • Review exhibit list before exporting or presenting

Troubleshooting

"Exhibit not found" error

  • The exhibit may have been deleted
  • Try recreating it or checking for typos in exhibit number

Document reference not working

  • Check that the document is still uploaded to your project
  • Verify external URLs are still valid
  • Ensure you have permission to access linked documents

Too many exhibits

  • Consider grouping related documents under one exhibit number
  • Use exhibit descriptions to list sub-documents
  • Focus on key exhibits; not every document needs to be an exhibit

Next Steps

Refining Timelines

Make iterative improvements to your timelines

Exporting Timelines

Learn how to export your timelines to PDF and Word

On this page

OverviewWhat are Exhibits?Creating ExhibitsMethod 1: While Editing an EventMethod 2: From Exhibit ManagerExhibit PropertiesRequired FieldsOptional FieldsLinking Exhibits to EventsAdding Exhibit LinksRemoving Exhibit LinksManaging ExhibitsExhibit ManagerEditing ExhibitsDeleting ExhibitsViewing ExhibitsIn Timeline ViewsExhibit PanelExhibit References and SourcesLinking to Source DocumentsExternal ReferencesCitation FormatExhibits in ExportsPDF ExportsWord ExportsUse CasesTrial PreparationDiscovery OrganizationFact InvestigationClient PresentationsBest PracticesNaming ConventionsOrganization TipsQuality ControlTroubleshooting"Exhibit not found" errorDocument reference not workingToo many exhibitsNext Steps