AI-Court System

A comprehensive legal technology platform that combines AI-powered dispute resolution with traditional court management systems.

🚀 Features

• User Authentication: Secure JWT-based authentication with MongoDB
• Role-based Access: Separate interfaces for users and court officials
• AI-Powered Dispute Resolution: Intelligent case analysis and suggestions
• Document Management: Secure file upload and management system
• Case Tracking: Complete case lifecycle management
• Real-time Chat: AI-powered legal assistance chatbot
• Mediation Platform: Online dispute resolution tools

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js with Express.js

• MongoDB with Mongoose ODM

• JWT for session management

• bcryptjs for password hashing

• express-validator for input validation

Frontend

• React with Vite

• Axios for API communication

• Context API for state management

📋 Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• MongoDB (v4.4 or higher)

🔧 Installation & Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd AI_Court

2. Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

cp env.example .env

Edit the .env file with your configuration:

# Server Configuration
PORT=5000
NODE_ENV=development

# MongoDB Configuration
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/ai-court

# JWT Configuration
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-change-this-in-production



# Frontend URL for CORS
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173

3. Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the frontend directory:

cp env.example .env

Edit the .env file with your configuration:

# Backend API URL
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api

4. Database Setup

Ensure MongoDB is running:

# Start MongoDB (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo systemctl start mongod

# Start MongoDB (macOS with Homebrew)
brew services start mongodb-community

# Start MongoDB (Windows)
net start MongoDB

5. Running the Application

Development Mode

Backend:

cd backend
npm run dev

Frontend:

cd frontend
npm run dev

Production Mode

Backend:

cd backend
npm start

Frontend:

cd frontend
npm run build
npm run preview

🔐 Authentication Flow

The system uses JWT-based authentication:

1. JWT Authentication: Primary authentication method for API access
2. Session Management: Automatic token refresh and session validation

Authentication Endpoints

• POST /api/auth/signup - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• POST /api/auth/logout - User logout
• GET /api/auth/profile - Get user profile
• PUT /api/auth/profile - Update user profile
• PUT /api/auth/change-password - Change password
• POST /api/auth/verify - Verify JWT token

🚨 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

2. MongoDB Connection Failed

Symptoms: Database connection errors Solution:

• Ensure MongoDB is running
• Check MongoDB connection string
• Verify network connectivity

3. JWT Token Issues

Symptoms: Authentication failures, 401 errors Solution:

• Check JWT_SECRET environment variable
• Ensure token is properly formatted
• Verify token expiration

4. CORS Errors

Symptoms: Frontend can't connect to backend Solution:

• Check FRONTEND_URL environment variable
• Ensure CORS configuration matches frontend URL
• Verify backend is running on correct port

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging by setting:

NODE_ENV=development
DEBUG=*

Logs

Check application logs for detailed error information:

# Backend logs
cd backend
npm run dev

# Frontend logs (in browser console)
F12 > Console

📁 Project Structure

AI_Court/
├── backend/
│   ├── config/
│   │   ├── database.js      # MongoDB configuration

│   ├── middleware/
│   │   └── auth.js          # Authentication middleware
│   ├── models/
│   │   ├── User.js          # User model
│   │   └── Document.js      # Document model
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── auth.js          # Authentication routes
│   │   ├── cases.js         # Case management routes
│   │   └── documents.js     # Document management routes
│   ├── scripts/
│   │   └── setup-demo.js    # Demo data setup
│   ├── server.js            # Express server
│   └── package.json
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/      # React components
│   │   ├── contexts/
│   │   │   └── AuthContext.jsx  # Authentication context
│   │   ├── pages/           # Page components
│   │   ├── config/

│   │   └── main.jsx         # React entry point
│   └── package.json
└── README.md

🔒 Security Features

• Password Hashing: bcrypt with salt rounds
• JWT Token Security: Configurable expiration and secret
• Input Validation: Comprehensive validation using express-validator
• Rate Limiting: API rate limiting to prevent abuse
• CORS Protection: Configured CORS for security
• Helmet.js: Security headers middleware
• Environment Variables: Secure configuration management

🧪 Testing

Backend Testing

cd backend
npm test

Frontend Testing

cd frontend
npm test

📝 API Documentation

Authentication

All protected routes require a valid JWT token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer <jwt-token>

Error Responses

Standard error response format:

{
  "error": "Error type",
  "message": "Human-readable error message",
  "details": [] // Optional validation errors
}

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

🆘 Support

For support and questions:

1. Check the troubleshooting section
2. Review the logs for error details
3. Create an issue with detailed error information
4. Include environment details (without sensitive data)

🔄 Updates

Recent Fixes

• ✅ Improved JWT token handling
• ✅ Enhanced error handling and validation
• ✅ Added comprehensive authentication flow
• ✅ Fixed CORS configuration
• ✅ Improved database connection handling
• ✅ Added security headers and rate limiting
• ✅ Enhanced user model with better validation
• ✅ Fixed frontend authentication context
• ✅ Added proper environment variable handling