Although a paralegal can perform certain duties of a lawyer, he or she is not legally permitted to practice law. A litigation paralegal can be a great asset to a business because they are familiar with the judicial process, the rules of civil procedure, and the details of filing documents with the courts. A paralegal can also assist in various phases of the litigation process. One of the main benefits of having a legal assistant is the fact that they can assist with both legal and factual research. Factual research may include, but is not limited to, uncovering basic information about both clients and opposing parties, researching and validating facts about the case, and assisting in locating key documents related to the case. Legal research may include discovering previous court decisions and related statutory laws in order to analyze how the law might relate to the case at hand. A paralegal can also assist in drafting documents for an attorney. Although a paralegal cannot sign documents, he or she can prepare and file them. Another part of the litigation process that a paralegal can be used for is the discovery phase. A paralegal may draft discovery requests and responses, communicate with the client to determine what documents are available, and also be responsible for organizing those documents. Legal assistants can also be very helpful during the process. Before trial a paralegal can help with dispositions and disclosures. During trial there are also several functions of a paralegal ranging from participating in the trial, taking notes, and even assisting with jury selection. These are just a few of the ways a paralegal can be a great asset to a law firm during the litigation process (Kroeck,