LitDocket - AI Legal Docketing Assistant

Enterprise legal docketing software combining CompuLaw-style rules-based deadline calculation with AI document analysis.

Status: ✅ Production Ready | Database Seeded | Backend & Frontend Deployed

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Quick Links

• Frontend: https://frontend-five-azure-58.vercel.app
• Backend API: https://litdocket-production.up.railway.app
• API Docs: https://litdocket-production.up.railway.app/api/docs

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Current System Status

✅ Production Environment

• Backend: Railway (FastAPI + PostgreSQL)
• Frontend: Vercel (Next.js 14)
• Database: Supabase PostgreSQL (14 jurisdictions seeded)
• Auth: Firebase Authentication
• AI: Anthropic Claude API

✅ Features Working

• Case management
• Deadline tracking and calculation
• Trigger-based deadline generation (Florida + Federal rules active)
• PDF document upload and viewing
• AI-powered document analysis
• Calendar view
• Morning report dashboard

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Tech Stack

Frontend

• Framework: Next.js 14 (App Router)
• Styling: Tailwind CSS (enterprise legal aesthetic)
• Auth: Firebase Auth → Backend JWT
• State: React hooks + context

Backend

• Framework: FastAPI (Python 3.12)
• ORM: SQLAlchemy 2.0
• Database: PostgreSQL via Supabase
• AI: Anthropic Claude API
• Auth: JWT (python-jose)

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• Python 3.12+
• PostgreSQL (or use Supabase)

Local Development

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/jackson-jpeg/litdocket.git
cd docketassist-v3

# Backend setup
cd backend
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
cp .env.example .env  # Configure your env vars
uvicorn app.main:app --reload

# Frontend setup (new terminal)
cd frontend
npm install
cp .env.example .env.local  # Configure your env vars
npm run dev

Environment Variables

Backend (.env):

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
JWT_SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT={"type":"service_account"...}

Frontend (.env.local):

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8000
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_API_KEY=...
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN=...

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Project Structure

docketassist-v3/
├── frontend/               # Next.js frontend
│   ├── app/               # App router pages
│   ├── components/        # React components
│   ├── lib/               # Utilities, API client, auth
│   └── types/             # TypeScript types
│
├── backend/               # FastAPI backend
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── api/v1/        # API routes
│   │   ├── models/        # SQLAlchemy models
│   │   ├── schemas/       # Pydantic schemas
│   │   ├── services/      # Business logic
│   │   │   ├── rules_engine.py      # Deadline calculation
│   │   │   └── ai_service.py        # Claude integration
│   │   └── seed/          # Database seeding
│   ├── scripts/           # Utility scripts
│   │   └── seed_production.py  # Database seeding
│   └── supabase/migrations/    # Database migrations
│
└── docs/                  # Documentation
    └── archive/           # Historical docs

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Key Documentation

Essential Docs (Root)

• CLAUDE.md - Project instructions and coding standards ⭐
• UPDATED_RULES_ARCHITECTURE.md - Current rules engine architecture
• DATABASE_SEEDED_CONFIRMATION.md - Database seeding status and next steps
• SCRIPTS_CLEANUP_SUMMARY.md - Backend scripts cleanup summary

Backend Docs

• backend/scripts/README.md - Available backend scripts
• backend/LEGAL_DEFENSIBILITY_GUIDE.md - Legal accuracy standards
• backend/SYSTEM_STATUS.md - System status and fixes log

Frontend Docs

• frontend/PAPER_STEEL_DESIGN_SYSTEM.md - Design system
• frontend/FIXES_APPLIED.md - Frontend fixes log

Archived Docs

• docs/archive/ - Historical planning and old status docs

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Rules Engine Overview

LitDocket uses a trigger-based deadline calculation system inspired by CompuLaw:

1. User enters a trigger event (e.g., "Complaint Served on Jan 15")
2. System calculates 30+ dependent deadlines automatically
3. If trigger date changes, all deadlines cascade-update
4. Manual overrides are preserved from auto-recalculation

Current Coverage

• 14 Jurisdictions seeded and active
• Florida State Courts - Full civil procedure rules
• Federal Courts - FRCP rules
• 2 Rule Templates:
  • FL Complaint Served → 3 deadlines
  • FL Trial Date → 30+ deadlines

Architecture

• Jurisdiction → RuleSet → RuleTemplate → RuleTemplateDeadline
• Supports service method extensions (mail, personal, etc.)
• Priority levels: FATAL, CRITICAL, IMPORTANT, STANDARD, INFORMATIONAL

See UPDATED_RULES_ARCHITECTURE.md for full details.

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Testing the System

Test Trigger-Based Deadline Generation

1. Login: https://frontend-five-azure-58.vercel.app
2. Open a case (or create new one)
3. Click "Add Trigger"
4. Select:
   • Jurisdiction: Florida
   • Trigger Type: Complaint Served
   • Date: Any date
   • Service Method: Mail
5. Click "Generate Deadlines"

Expected: 3 deadlines appear automatically with correct dates calculated!

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Deployment

Backend (Railway)

# Deploy via git push
git push origin main
# Railway auto-deploys from main branch

# Or manual deploy
railway up

Frontend (Vercel)

# Deploy via git push
git push origin main
# Vercel auto-deploys from main branch

# Or manual deploy
vercel --prod

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Security Notes

CRITICAL - LegalTech Security Standards:

1. Ownership Verification: ALL endpoints filter by user_id
2. IDOR Prevention: Never trust client IDs without ownership check
3. Input Validation: All inputs validated via Pydantic
4. No Secrets in Code: Use environment variables only
5. Audit Trail: Soft deletes, timestamps on all models

See CLAUDE.md for full security standards.

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Database Seeding

Status: ✅ Production database already seeded (14 jurisdictions)

If you need to re-seed:

railway ssh --service litdocket
python scripts/seed_production.py

See DATABASE_SEEDED_CONFIRMATION.md for details.

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Recent Changes

January 27, 2026

• ✅ Fixed backend 502 errors (deleted obsolete model files)
• ✅ Confirmed database seeded (14 jurisdictions)
• ✅ Cleaned up backend scripts directory
• ✅ Consolidated documentation (archived 18 obsolete .md files)

See commit history for full changelog.

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Contributing

Code Style

• TypeScript: Strict mode, no any types
• Python: Type hints required, use Pydantic for validation
• Testing: Write tests for all business logic
• Security: Follow ownership verification patterns

See CLAUDE.md for full coding standards.

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Support

Common Issues

"Can't login"

• Check Firebase config in frontend .env.local
• Verify backend JWT_SECRET_KEY is set

"No jurisdictions in dropdown"

• Database may not be seeded - see DATABASE_SEEDED_CONFIRMATION.md

"Deadlines not generating"

• Check browser console for errors
• Verify backend /api/v1/triggers endpoint is working

"Railway deployment failing"

• Check Railway logs for errors
• Verify all environment variables are set

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License

Proprietary - LitDocket

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Project History

LitDocket started as a deadline calculation tool and evolved into a comprehensive legal docketing system with:

• CompuLaw-style trigger-based deadline chains
• AI document analysis via Claude
• Enterprise-grade security and audit trails
• Multi-jurisdiction support

For historical planning docs and development notes, see docs/archive/.

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Last Updated: January 27, 2026 Version: 1.0.0 Status: Production Ready ✅