How to read a fact matrix (and why it changes discovery)
The fact matrix is the quiet workhorse of modern litigation prep: every fact, every source, in one filterable grid. Here's how to use it.
For decades, building a case theory from a document dump meant a paralegal, a highlighter, and a lost weekend. The fact matrix collapses that into a structured, filterable grid, and once you've worked from one, it's hard to go back.
One row, one fact, one source
The discipline of the matrix is that every row is a single fact with a single citation. "Plaintiff signed the release on March 3" is a row, and it points to the exact page of the exact exhibit. Nothing floats free of its source.
Filtering is where the theory appears
Sort by date and you have a chronology. Filter by witness and you have a deposition outline. Filter by element and you can see, at a glance, which parts of your claim are well-supported and which are thin. The case theory isn't written; it's revealed by the filters.
Contradictions fall out for free
Because every statement is captured with its source, conflicting statements across documents sit side by side. That's impeachment material, surfaced automatically, with the page-level proof already attached.