⚖️ LegalHelp

LegalHelp is a full-stack web application that connects clients with verified advocates.
Clients can search, consult, and hire advocates based on specialization, experience, and location.

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🚀 Project Objective

To build a scalable full-stack platform that demonstrates:

• JWT Authentication
• Role-Based Access Control
• REST API Development
• PostgreSQL Database Integration
• Booking Workflow System
• Full Frontend–Backend Integration

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🏗️ Tech Stack

🔹 Frontend

• React.js
• Axios
• React Router DOM

🔹 Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• JWT (Authentication)
• bcrypt (Password Hashing)

🔹 Database

• PostgreSQL

🔹 Version Control

• Git & GitHub

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👥 User Roles

👤 Client

• Register / Login
• Search advocates
• View advocate profiles
• Book consultations
• Leave reviews

👨‍⚖️ Advocate

• Register / Login
• Create and manage profile
• View bookings
• Accept / Reject consultations

🛠 Admin

• Approve advocate accounts
• Manage users
• Monitor bookings

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📂 Project Structure

LegalHelp/ │ ├── backend/ │ ├── routes/ │ ├── models/ │ ├── middleware/ │ └── server.js │ ├── frontend/ │ ├── src/ │ └── package.json │ └── README.md

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🔐 Core Features (MVP)

• User Registration & Login
• Password Hashing with bcrypt
• JWT-Based Authentication
• Role-Based Authorization
• Advocate Profile Management
• Search & Filter Advocates
• Booking Management System
• Review & Rating System

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🗄️ Database Schema (Core Tables)

• users
• advocate_profiles
• bookings
• reviews

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⚙️ Setup Instructions

1️⃣ Clone the Repository

git clone <your-repository-url>
cd LegalHelp

2️⃣ Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install
npm start

PORT=5000
JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key
DB_USER=postgres
DB_PASSWORD=your_password
DB_NAME=legalhelp
DB_HOST=localhost

3️⃣ Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install
npm start
Frontend runs at:

http://localhost:3000
Backend runs at:

http://localhost:5000

###📌 Development Status 🚧 Currently in MVP Development Phase

🔮 Future Improvements

Online Payment Integration

Real-Time Chat System

Video Consultation

Document Upload

Email Notifications

AI-Powered Legal Assistant

🎯 Learning Outcomes

This project demonstrates:

Full-Stack Development

Secure Authentication Systems

RESTful API Design

Database Modeling

Clean Code Structure

Deployment-Ready Architecture

📄 License

This project is built for educational and portfolio purposes.